Opposites But Not
by khaleesi-chan
Summary: Henry meets a girl at school named Heather, who works at a clothes shop right across from Junk N' Stuff. Her boss, Rey, is a quirky woman who reminds Henry of his own boss. But said person, Ray, is suspicious of Rey and Heather, as they seem too familiar. How will they react to their own secret, of being Captain Woman and Girl Danger, and also being their female counterparts?
1. And it Begins

**Opposites But Not**

 **Summary:** Henry meets a girl at school named Heather, who works at a clothes shop right across from Junk N' Stuff. Her boss, Rey, is a quirky woman who reminds Henry of his own boss. But said person, Ray, is suspicious of Rey and Heather, as they seem too familiar. How will they react to their own secret, of being Captain Woman and Girl Danger, and also being their female counterparts?

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own the show, characters, excluding Rey and Heather. I only own the plot!

* * *

"Where is the Polymath? Is he near?"

"He's on top of that cliff- Girl, head over there and taunt him."

The taller brunette woman was sprinting with the younger blonde girl across the green fields of Scotland. Tens of hundreds of meters away, they could see the cloaked figure reaching the apex of the cliff near the stormy clouds. The woman watched him, tracked his movements, to see his next move. He was a difficult one to predict- she and the girl noticed that days ago when they attempted to get him in the deep and frigid snow of Canada. He used the rough snow as his advantage, much to her hatred.

So now seeing him sitting on the cliff, it looked easy. _Too_ easy. As if they'd just reach him anytime soon and capture him. But Rey knew not to trust villains, regardless if they allowed themselves to be caught. There's always something awaiting- it was never that simple.

They eventually reached the bottom of the mountain leading to the cliff, and both followed the rugged path that was in a spiral around the terrain. The blonde was sprinting faster than she was, and even though Rey couldn't see her eyes she knew that it spoke fearless. Determination. She was reasonably proud of the 14 year old. That she'll take after her.

But this wasn't the time to kiss up to her and mentally compliment her. No, this was the time to reach the darn Polymath, having an intellect that she and the blonde combined could not compete with. Heck, even the whole of their town, probably could not be as intelligent as this one man. She knew that he wasn't born with that mind- it had to be a creation; device, rather, that allowed him to know all of these intricate details of people, secrets, deep secrets, spread out to the edges of the universe. Rey wasn't too familiar with these kind of people; only such people were developed in fiction. All of the previous ones she fought with had no intellect similar to his. She struggled before, but this became something that wouldn't dare compete with the others- this was different.

The path stopped abruptly and there was ledges that led to the higher elevated areas of the region. Girl tried to jump and grab the nearest one to her hand, but her hand always slid off a ledge, and she groaned out of irritation, complained and complained, it irked her, and started to annoy Rey as well.

"Help- me-!" she yelped as she tried to jump up again, albeit failed.

Rey sighed, and held her by the waist, pulling her up so she could reach the ledge better. Girl grasped the ledge tightly, and pulled herself to the next step. She followed after her, gingerly climbing and making sure she doesn't fall to her utmost death. She would tell her where to climb, what direction, how long it'd take for the two to reach the cliff. The rocks were stiff, but it shouldn't fool them. One wrong move and one or two arms lose hold and they fall.

Girl felt the strands of dirt and grass as she reached up, a sigh of relief escaping her. She reluctantly look down to see Rey's progress- she was almost at her level. Albeit, as soon as the brunette reached for the next rock, it began to crumble in her hand and she stumbled on that one ledge, and anxiety, fear, _worry_ was written on her face. As an instinct, Girl grabbed onto that hand that almost allowed Rey to fall off the wall of rocks and onto the path. She pulled tightly, and pulled her up with all of the strength her 14 year old self had.

Rey gripped the dirt, pulling herself up to the ledge, shaking her head at her own stupidity. She almost _died_.

She and Girl both looked toward the other side of the cliff, where the Polymath idly stood, his scepter wrapped in emerald in hand. If only they could develop a way, any way, to deceit him, that'd be great. Except, they didn't know how. Much to the annoyance of Girl.

He heard them trampling across the dirt, and he turned around slowly. His hood was long enough to cover his mask, or face- Rey couldn't tell, she never noticed. But the pale hands gripping the scepter tightened, and she knew he was going to point it at them. Wasn't _that_ hard to find out.

Except he didn't. He turned back and pointed it at the open space right near the end of the cliff, and twirled it around. A purple mist appeared, it grew larger, denser, darker, and it became some kind of portal, as Girl wondered. He let the scepter fall onto the grass, and looked up at the portal that had just appeared.

"Are you willing to catch me?"

Girl looked at him as if he was stupid. He wasn't, but.. you get the point.

"What do you think?" she called out, Rey mentally face palmed.

"Of course. You _are_ willing to."

"You've caused destruction- you put these people's lives at risk," Rey told him. "You have to stop."

He chuckled. It was dark, condescending. "Captain Woman, I would say you are one of a kind, but your dull mind is like everyone else's. Shame."

Her nostrils flared. "What will stop you?"

The Polymath looked down at the scepter, and then at Rey. "If you have my scepter."

Girl looked between Rey and the scepter. "Let's get it then!"

" _Girl!_ " Rey shouted as she saw the young girl sprint to the scepter on the ground. No, no _, no_ this was not happening. How could she not realize? There was something in store, she just knew it, but at this point Girl was completely oblivious. She ran after her, shouting at her to stop, turn back, wait for his next actions. He just stood there, watching. He was going to do something and it hurt for her to think of what.

The blonde jumped at the scepter, but at the last millisecond the Polymath allowed the scepter to fly back into his hand. She saw him run to the portal, and his horrific eyes connected with Rey's and Girl's.

"Catch me."

Girl refused to let him leave again. No, she'll have him this time. He jumped in the portal and disappeared, and Rey immediately knew what Girl was going to do.

"Girl! _Girl!_ " She shouted, her voice hoarse. _"Girl Danger!"_

She leaped into the portal, going after him. Rey immediately sprinted into the portal as well, with the intention not the catch the Polymath. Only to get Heather Hart back.

* * *

The janitor was mending the locker two spaces away from Henry's. He only watched in curiosity, but it was so pent up he had to ask about it.

"What are you doing to that locker?"

The older man turned to the boy, and smirked. "This lock's gonna be for the new transfer student whose coming tomorrow."

"Transfer student? From where?" Henry asked, grabbing his history textbook from his opened locker.

The janitor only shook his head. "No clue. Only know she's coming tomorrow."

"Oh.." Henry stopped in his tracks, closing his locker. " _She?_ "

He nodded, continuing his business. Henry's interest was over the brim.

"So.. what's her name?"

The man stopped, furrowing this brows at Henry. "You think I know everything?"

Henry was alarmed by the sudden outburst, and he quickly apologized. "Oh, uh, sorry. I just thought, you know.."

"That since I was fixing the locker for the student that I'd know her name and where she was from," the janitor finished for him.

"Right."

"Well.." The janitor tested the locker once more, and reasonably impressed with the result, closed the locker. "You'll find out. Don't get too excited."

He walked away, leaving Henry at his own devices. Charlotte had observed the whole situation from her locker, and sauntered over to the blond boy.

"What was that all about?"

"There's a new student transferring tomorrow," Henry told the curly-haired girl. "No clue about her name, or her hometown though.."

Charlotte could practically feel the excitement radiating off of him. "You seem interested about it."

"Uh, yeah. I mean, what if she doesn't know English? Then it'd be hard to find out her name."

"If she has the same classes as us then we'll find out her name from the roll call."

Henry nodded slowly. "Right.."

The curly-haired girl shook her head. "Don't be acting weird about it. And to get _that_ off your mind, Ray wants us at the shop after school."

The blond stopped dazing off and looked down at her. "For what?"

"He's got ukulele lessons again. He wants us to supervise the register and stuff. He _still_ can't play those chords correctly."

Henry chuckled. He put the transfer student thing at the back of his mind. Charlotte was right, he shouldn't care about it _that_ much. _Don't be weird about it_. _Don't be weird about it. Don't. Be. Weird. About. It._

"Ok. I'll meet you there- 4 pm?" He assured.

"4 pm it is." She told him.

He couldn't stop thinking about it.

* * *

 _earlier in the week_

She helped the other push the queen-sized bed to the newly-painted navy blue wall. The faint sound of the frame hitting the wall allowed them to stop. She wiped the sweat on top of her brow, sighing in relief.

"That's the last?" she asked, practically pleading.

"Yes. Of course. Why wouldn't it be?" the other replied.

"Well.." the blonde looked around the room with furniture meticulously placed at their designated places. "We pushed and pulled a lot of these."

"Get used to it."

"We've been doing this for 3 days, _Rey_. Can we stop?"

Rey furrowed her brows, observing the placement of the bed. "I don't think this bed is in the center of the wall."

Heather wanted to scream. " _Rey!_ "

The brunette chuckled. "I'm kidding. It's perfectly in place. Have a rest, kid. You'll need it for tomorrow."

Her eyes widened at the older woman's words. " _Tomorrow?_ "

Rey opened the fridge, grabbing a cola and slamming the door closed. "Yes, _tomorrow._ You're working the register."

Heather sighed in relief once more. "Thank goodness, I thought I was going to push more furniture..!"

"Gotta restock the shelves."

" _Darnit!_ "

"Hey.." Rey treaded over to the young girl, who was now lain across the blue and silver couch. "It's not that bad. You helped me with all this furniture, and a pretty decent job at it too."

"Decent? I did more than decent."

"I know you did," Rey replied, smiling down at her and she then took a sip of the bottle.

"I just.. that might be the first thing I've done more than great."

Rey's smile quickly disappeared, noticing Heather's expression now turned reasonably upset. She put the bottle down on the coffee table, and splayed her arm on the top of the couch. The brunette looked down at the younger girl, her eyes getting droopy.

"Hey, kid, what's wrong?" she asked, although a small pang inside her knew exactly what was wrong.

"I failed, those few days ago. Look where we are now," Heather spoke, her eyes becoming watery.

The older woman put a hand on Heather's shoulder. "I know you regret it, and-"

"Of course I do!" Heather exclaimed, her voice raising. "My stupidity led us to some place _we don't even know_. Why did I believe him? _Why?_ "

She covered her face with the nearby throw pillow, her tears making almond shaped stains on the the design. Rey immediately put her arm around her, and Heather turned around in her arms to bury her face in Rey's shirt. She was initially shocked by how she reacted, but almost as a maternal instinct she allowed her to release her emotions into Rey's shirt.

"Hey, kid. _Hey_. Look up at me." Rey told Heather.

She obeyed, her puffy eyes connecting with the woman's.

"At least we still have each other. I think we'd be in more danger not knowing who to trust."

Heather nodded nonchalantly.

"I'm aware that all of your friends, family are now no longer with us. I get that. But you gotta listen to me- we'll find a way back."

She wiped a tear that was falling down the blonde's reddened cheeks. "You promise?" she asked quietly.

Rey smiled slightly at her. "I promise. We always find a solution to our problems. Except, this one might take a while.."

* * *

"I wanna start school."

Rey was drinking coffee, and she sputtered at Heather's suggestion. _"What?"_

Heather rolled her eyes. "You heard me the first time. I want to go to school."

The brunette looked at her, perplexed. " _Why?_ "

The girl looked at her in utter disbelief. "Are you _seriously_ asking 'why' to my suggestion about going to school?"

Rey looked at her as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe. "Yes."

Heather put down the stack of shirts she was going to display in the shop. As they continued living in this pronounced town, Swellview, they decided to make a living by reviving the shop from their own world, Clothes Landing. The blonde thought it was a ridiculous name, but Rey was so happy at the concept of the name so she let her be with her idea. She never asked why before, but now Heather was proposing her own idea and Rey decides to question it.

"I'm not you, first of all. I don't plan to use some device to make me learn everything."

"It's practical."

"It's _stupid._ I'd end up learning things I don't care about."

"Which is everything you'd learn in school."

" _Rey._ "

The older woman placed the coffee mug on the table, a look of contemplation written on her face. Heather knew she was faking it. Or if she wasn't, she shouldn't make it look like it _was_ fake.

"Hm- depends. What do you plan to do once you go to _school_?"

"I don't know; make friends, learn, not be a lazy butt working here 24/7?"

Rey actually wanted to consider that.

"What's the nearest one from here?"

"Swellview Junior High."

The woman paused for a moment.

"Yeah, ok."

Heather became absolutely ecstatic. To the confusion of Rey.

"Yes! Thank you!" She exclaimed, and jumped on the woman. The brunette was initially startled, stumbling back, but she smiled, hugging the girl back. It's been a while since Heather genuinely smiled- it made Rey equally happy as well. The blonde climbed off, and ran up to her room. She watched Heather leave, and she immediately felt that maternal paranoia.

 _What if she gets bullied? She becomes isolated?_

 _No, she's not that off. Surely the kids act just like her._

 _.._

 _I just hope nothing bad happens._

* * *

 _now_

"Heather, this is your locker. And you're right by.. _him_.. Henry."

Heather heard the obvious dislike in Mrs. Shapen's voice. "Thank you, ma'am."

She practically died from the honorific. " _Ma'am_.. you're so polite!"

The blonde nodded in acknowledgement. She put her thumb to the button, which flashed green and she opened it, seeing her basic necessities already placed inside. The teacher walked away, and Heather proceeded to grab her english textbook, as that was her first class. As she closed her locker she saw a blond boy opening his locker. She decided to be nice and talk.

"Hi- I'm Heather."

The boy stopped dead in his tracks, slowly turning his head to her. Heather gave him a sheepish look, hoping that what she said wasn't stupid. He smiled at her.

"I'm Henry. Nice to meet you." His tone was off to Heather- she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Uh- I just transferred here, and-"

"Yeah, I know." He had this strange look on his face and Heather started to feel uneasy. "I.."

"What _he_ meant.." a shorter girl with curly hair arrived out of nowhere. "We were told yesterday that a transfer student was going to be here. Sorry for him to sound all weird."

Heather smiled at her. "It's fine, really. Got a lot like him back at home."

The girl chuckled. "I'm Charlotte, by the way."

"Heather. Heather.."

She delved into her mind, trying to remember the last name Rey gave her. It certainly was not Manchester- Rey cared for her but the idea of being her daughter was a completely alien thing to her. She recalled using one of the names of people she knew before as the basis, but Heather forgot who..

 _Jasmine? No.. Peter- no, no_ _definitely_ _not_

 _Sirius? Dad's cool, no- Jackie- what last name would I get out of Mom's name?-_

 _Charlie. Charles. Charleston. Right._

"-Charleston. Heather Charleston."

Charlotte smiled at her. "Well, it's cool to have a transfer around here. Say, do you need a tour around the school? The school maps are notorious for being absolutely confusing to comprehend."

Heather shrugged at the suggestion. "I don't mind."

"Alright," the curly-haired girl decided. "Henry and I will show you around."

He was snapped out of his daze and back into reality. "Huh- transfer- what?"

She rolled her eyes. "We're showing Heather around."

Henry nodded nonchalantly. "O-ok.."

Charlotte led the tour with occasional outbursts from Henry about barely relevant topics, which made Heather slightly confused. They walked through the halls passing the history department, and Henry would mention what type of history and random facts about it. Heather noticed he knew a sufficient amount of Puerto Rican history.

"Is he.. always like this?" Heather asked Charlotte quietly as he went off reciting the national anthem of the nation in Spanish.

"No, _barely._ He sometimes does this when he feels that something is wrong.."

"He speaks Spanish when he knows something's off."

"Ah- that's not too far fetched, more over he just acts outright weird."

Heather paused, furrowing her brows. "Does it.. have to do with me?"

Charlotte immediately shook her head. "No! No.. it's probably something else. Probably- family stuff or whatever.."

The curly-haired girl _hoped_ Henry's actions had nothing to do with Heather. Although, the way he reacted yesterday about the transfer, which Henry had no idea who it was yet, helped Charlotte make an assumption. She stayed quiet about that topic.

"Oh.. ok, then," Heather spoke quietly, a tone of worry slightly evident. Charlotte could hear that tone, and she wanted Henry to shut up.

After they left that area, they exited the doors and arrived at the outdoor hang out area of the school. Henry went back to being his normal self, _thank goodness_ , as Charlotte thought, and would point at each area, say the name and a reasonable amount of information about it. Heather was intently listening- she needed to make sure she knew what these places were so she wasn't lost. She _hated_ not knowing where to go.

Like earlier.

Heather stopped in her tracks, the agitated look on her face becoming more evident. She clutched the book in her hand tightly, her knuckles turning shades lighter than her skin tone. Henry noticed that Heather was no longer making comments and eventually following them. He looked back at Heather who look rather perturbed. An expression of worry was now put across his and Charlotte's faces.

"Hey- what's wrong?" Henry asked, walking towards her.

Heather looked up, and immediately brushed it off. "No- it's nothing. I had to.. uhh.. remember my schedule without looking at it."

Charlotte could feel pity. The blonde girl was lying. There was something else. She still didn't speak about it.

"Alright then," Henry replied, the smirk back on his face. The curly-haired girl wanted to slap him by now.

The three students walked towards a group of pathways and trees, where one boy with curly raspberry blond hair was sitting Indian style reading a book. A rather large one, Heather noted. She wondered what it was about. But as she did, the blonde noticed a peculiar thing. He had a bucket next to him. Heather was immediately thrust back into her own life, seeing all of her own memories with one specific girl who had a questionable fashion sense and that love for buckets. She had to stop herself from thinking about this- Rey specifically said not to concentrate on that now.

The boy next to the tree looked up. "Henry! Charlotte! Hey!"

Charlotte and Henry both spoke, "Hey!" in unison, as Heather stood there with her feet shifting awkwardly.

Charlotte looked over at Heather, and back at Jasper. "Jasper, this is the new transfer student. Her name's Heather."

Jasper looked over at Heather, and Henry could swear he saw his eyes bright up. Perhaps, dare he say, even more when he sees his bucket collection. It wasn't abnormal to point out, but Henry knew something was going to happen. Jasper immediately jumped up from the grass, his book falling out of his hands and onto the ground, he ran over to the three and immediately put his hand out to Heather.

"Hi- _Heather!_ I'm- I'm Jasper! Jasper Dunlop!" he spoke, his voice piping up every few words.

Heather's eyes moved to Henry and Charlotte's faces, which were thinking the exact same thing. Her eyes then connected with Jasper's.

"Uh- hi there! You seem to already know my name- oh, ok-" Heather stopped speaking when Jasper instantly gripped her hand tightly, and shook it rather aggressively. She felt the sweat, and she didn't know whether to cry or scream.

He eventually stopped gripping her hand tightly, which stayed seconds too long, and Heather smiled at him as she lightly wiped her hand on her jeans. Jasper had a smile plastered on his face and he then walked back to get his book from the ground. He came back to the three and showed Heather his book.

"This is the collector's edition of the REAL bucket list," he told her, and Henry tried not to laugh, seeing Heather's face.

"Oh.. that's.. nice," Heather told him. _I'm sure he's a nice kid_

"Do you like buckets too?" Jasper asked her rather eagerly.

"I- yeah.. they're cool, I guess," the blonde replied, a small smile on her face.

It then became quiet as Henry looked between Jasper and Heather, Jasper was only almost staring at Heather the whole time, Heather awkwardly looking at Charlotte, as Charlotte looked at all three of them and felt the tension near the brim. She spoke up.

"Hey- looks like we're done with the tour!"

"Yeah, let's go to, uh, class..!" Henry replied, _that_ tone evident to Heather.

Henry looked over at Heather, who started to follow.

"Since we all have the same classes- you should test yourself if you remember where the English classroom is," Charlotte told her.

"Sure," Heather replied, and started to lead the way back inside the school building. Henry and Charlotte were sufficiently spaced away from Heather, who now became oblivious to their whispers.

"Why do you think she stopped earlier?" Henry asked Charlotte quietly.

"I don't know. What if she just remembered something bad?" Charlotte murmured.

"I guess. But it could be something else."

Charlotte turned her head to look at him. "Like..?"

Henry couldn't tell Charlotte. It was _definitely_ something. It felt off. He knew that she must feel the same way, but he knows she's the kind of person to not easily say it.

Heather looked back at them, and they immediately shut up.

"Is this the right way?" she asked them. Charlotte and Henry observed the hall they were in, and nodded.

Henry paid attention to Heather's face. _There really was something off_

 _Her eyes are actually kind of pretty._

 _.._

 _They look just like mine._

* * *

"So! How was your first day?" Rey called out to Heather as she entered the shop.

"Great- I mean, brilliant!" Heather told her eagerly. She placed her backpack on the counter and grabbed the nearest stool.

"I met two-" Heather began to think of Jasper. "Uh.. three people today."

A big smile was plastered among Rey's face. "That's good. You're slowly fitting in now."

The blonde girl nodded. "The learning- decent, not the greatest. But adequate."

"Told you devices were better."

Heather still had the right to look at her in disbelief. "Rey."

Said person shrugged nonchalantly. "Fine. I would be in a lot of trouble if I didn't send you to school, anyways."

The younger girl looked down at her backpack, and instantly remembered something she was supposed to ask Rey.

"Hey- Rey?"

"Yes?"

..

"Why are you listed as my mom on my schedule?"

Rey looked over at Heather with a confused look. She became aware once Heather took the sheet of paper from the front pocket of her backpack. It seems that Heather had, in bright pink highlighter, circled the obvious name _Rey Manchester_ in the parent box.

"Oh, that.. uh," Rey began, hastily trying to develop her reason.

Heather's face told her to hurry up with her sentence.

"Well- you can't be parentless.."

" _Yes_ , I know that."

"Kid, look," Rey walked around the counter and to Heather, and took the paper out of her hand. "If we're gonna live here for a while, best make ourselves normal looking. So, for the time being, I will be your mother."

Heather's expression was in utmost shock. Rey expected that.

"But- I don't even look like you."

"Have you heard of adoption?"

" _Rey_ \- I-"

"Has it occurred to you that we only know each other the best here? Sure, you've met three people, but I don't think they can handle all those secrets that you're hiding."

"If I tell them."

"Right. Don't tell them." Rey turned away and proceeded to walk upstairs. Heather followed after her as they reached the second floor of the building. The brunette apparently now installed voice activation- where she had the time to build that system Heather had no idea- to open the door. Rey spoke a word and the door unlocked, and the two walked inside the room. She called the room the Woman Cave- much similar to their own- but digging underground for it would simply be so much work for possibly the little amount of time they had. For which, Rey still had no clue how long they'd stay here. Best make the place livable.

A control panel was in the midst of being built near one side of the wall, and Heather walked over to the metal frame.

"Control panel?" she asked Rey.

"Yes."

"How long did it take for the last one?"

Rey paused momentarily. "Uh- 6 weeks. With a few breaks, of course."

"I see. Well, this place is starting to look familiar now."

Heather observed the whole environment of the room. Brightly lit, the walls of blue, silver, hints of orange and red, the flooring which was now tile. The furniture as well- made Heather smile. It was just like their old home.

"That's the point." Rey spoke.

"Rey.." Heather jumped on Rey and hugged her. Rey stumbled, but regardless she still wrapped her arms around the young girl. The brunette smiled once again.

Later on in the evening, as Heather was working on her homework in the living area, Rey sauntered over with a bag of chips. She turned on the TV and began to watch whatever that was on. Heather looked up slowly as she heard the speakers blair people's voices and put her pencil down. Her head whipped to Rey, who now looked back at her.

"I'm doing _homework._ "

"Yes, and I'm watching TV."

"Can't you watch TV later?"

"Can't you do your homework somewhere else?"

Heather looked down at the paper. Algebra, ew. She placed the paper and the binder on the coffee table and shook her head. "I finished anyways."

Rey nodded, and motioned at the bag asking if Heather wanted any. She grabbed a handful of chips and began to eat. The brunette grabbed the TV remote from the coffee table and switched through the channels. Drama, drama, ooh, sports! No. News.. Canadian news, wait, local news.

"-convict, who recently escaped from the jail."

"And what else is there about him?"

"His whereabouts are not determined, but if he's not caught he'll be haunting a lot of people in Swellview. We wouldn't want that."

"He was told to have a weapon."

"Ok, this is my time. Your time is with the finance issues."

Rey looked over at Heather, and she knew what the girl was thinking. Heather shuffled to grab her backpack, and in the depths of her backpack she grabbed the familiar clear tube with the rounded colored gum balls, and gripped it tightly. She looked over at Rey for approval. The brunette simply couldn't.

"No."

Heather looked at her, aghast. "What- why not?!"

"Heather- we can't-"

" _No!_ There's crime here- we have to fight it!" She exclaimed, shooting up from her seat.

" _Heather_ , listen-"

"We just _have_ to live completely different lives now? Rey, did you already give up?"

"Heather, I said _listen to me!"_ Rey told her, her voice raising and stern. Heather became quiet.

.. "I know you want to do this. You're my sidekick, of course. But you need to understand that we cannot become Captain Woman and Girl Danger in this world."

The blonde twirled the tube around in her hands. "Why not? You're building all of our old equipment, what's that for, then?"

The brunette furrowed her brows. "I- I need more time to rebuild the equipment. And it's for nostalgia."

She looked at her in utter disbelief. "So you _have_ given up?"

"Do you know how long it took us to find him? And were any of the times we planned to catch him successful?"

"Rey, you can't give up. You're _Captain Woman._ The only person in the world that is absolutely indestructible."

"I don't want you to be hurt again."

Heather paused, comprehending Rey's words. "What?"

"I realized earlier how devastated you were about not capturing him. If that happens again.. I don't know how I'd cope to see you react."

She looked down at her shoes, taking her words into account. Heather started to remember the pain she had felt. "I- I had no idea that you bothered.."

"Well, I'm your mom now. I have to."

Heather shrugged, and smiled up at Rey. "Thanks. I understand." She took her school stuff and her backpack and treaded over to her bedroom. Rey's eyes followed her. But deep inside, Rey hated herself for telling her that. She _did_ want to fight the crime. She had to follow her own words though. To be an example to Heather.

Hearing about the convict escaping tempted Rey to do something about it. A lot.

* * *

 **And that was the first chapter! Hopefully I didn't make it too cringe-worthy or sappy. Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome!**


	2. Temptations Suck

**Opposites But Not**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own the show, characters, excluding Rey and Heather. I only own the plot!

* * *

Heather woke up in her bed to hear the faint sound of the television in the other room. She rubbed her eyes and hastily jumped out, opening her bedroom door. The blonde walked the short flight of stairs to the living area, where she saw Rey wearing a red onesie and sitting very stiffly on the couch. She sauntered over to Rey, whose eyes were intently focused on the TV screen.

"The convict was successfully stopped by Swellview's greatest superhero duo, Captain Man and Kid Danger!"

Rey rolled her eyes, murmuring gibberish.

"They were seen yesterday where Kid Danger tricked the convict into the wrath of Captain Man near the model homes. If they hadn't get there in time they would _not_ be model homes any longer."

The news anchor let out a dry chuckle, and his companion glared at him. A picture, which must've been taken on a phone, of a man and a younger boy appeared. They were clad in blue and red suits, with matching masks.

Rey grabbed for the remote and briskly turned the television off. She crossed her arms across her chest, pouting. Heather smirked, sitting on the couch next to her.

"You look upset."

The brunette was initially shocked at her arrival, but brushed it off. "Did you see the news?"

"Yes, and you looked mad watching it."

She huffed, shifting in her seat. " _Captain Man and Kid Danger_. Ridiculous."

Heather had a perplexed look on her face. "Rey, our names are _Captain Woman and Girl Danger._ "

Rey grabbed the nearby pillow, hugging it tightly. "They copied us."

The blonde put a hand on the woman's shoulder. "It's not that bad.."

"The costumes. The _costumes_ , Heather. Look just like ours."

"Maybe they were inspired by ours."

"No, they stole the exact same design. Boots, masks, and everything."

Heather could hear how agitated Rey actually was about this. Sure, it was stupid for her to be upset, but usually when Rey gets upset it somehow turns into a serious matter. And Heather is always involved. _Always_. Sometimes she wanted to ask Rey to not involve her, but it was a lost cause. If anyone knew Rey, even if the situation was barely relevant, they'd be part of it in some obscure and stupid way. Like that one time Heather and Charlie had to be called from school to help Rey with her stupid mood issues. _Ok, I have got to stop thinking about that._

"Well, I don't know what to say.." Heather began.

"Oh, maybe _that they're unoriginal and this is totally not fair_?"

"Uh- not fair? _How?_ "

Rey slammed the pillow back onto the side and whipped her head at Heather. "Remember how I said we are absolutely forbidden to be in our suits here?"

"Yes- oh. _You're_ saying it's unfair because they get to fight the crime and.. we don't."

"Exactly," Rey spoke, and huffed.

Heather remembered what she told her yesterday. What she was saying now kind of contradicts it, she noted.

"So, you're jealous, basically?"

Rey looked over at her, aghast. "What?! Uh, _no_."

Heather simply wasn't convinced. "Uh, _yeah_."

The brunette shook her head, standing up from the couch. "I'm not jealous. Jealousy is a waste of one's time."

"And yet you're here sulking like a baby because they're taking the spotlight."

The woman whipped her head back at the young girl on the couch. "Are you not affected by this? At _all_?"

"Of course I am! It's just that you said that we weren't allowed to be Captain Woman and Girl Danger and I'm assuming from our last conversation you stopped trying!"

"Heather! I have _not_ stopped trying. We just have to.. give it some space for now."

Heather stood up from the couch, and treaded over to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator door and grabbed a carton of milk. "And how long will that take?" She asked as she reached for the cereal box on top of the appliance.

"It depends. If you and I have finally adjusted." She walked away.

The blonde stopped opening the cereal box, comprehending what Rey told her. _If you have finally adjusted_ , _what does that even mean?_ _Adjusted to what? Being absolutely helpless here in Swellview?_ Heather grabbed a bowl and started to pour the cereal, the only thing in her mind being that line.

* * *

As she arrived at school, Heather approached Charlotte and Jasper who were conveniently nearby.

"Hi Charlotte, Jasper.. where's Henry?" she asked. Charlotte had a brief look of worry and Jasper stood stiffly on the ground.

"Why do you wanna know where Henry is?" Jasper asked, his voice abruptly stern.

"I- because he's not here.." Heather replied, looking over at Jasper worriedly. _What's got into him?_

"Henry's- not feeling well," Charlotte replied. "He got the- uh, the flu."

The blonde nodded. "I see. Hope he feels better."

Charlotte could almost feel the tension. Jasper was starting to act strange, she noted. All because Heather mentioned Henry. It might've been that he's also upset that Henry's not here, or..

The curly-haired girl gasped audibly. Jasper and Heather both turned to her, confused looks on their faces. She merely brushed it off.

"Oh- sorry. That was.. nothing." she lied. Did Jasper like Heather?! It was something to tell Henry.

Heather, Charlotte, and Jasper walked over to the lockers, where Heather opened hers to grab her chemistry textbook. She slammed it closed, and turned to the two.

"So, he just got the flu?" Heather asked Charlotte.

"Yeah.. pretty bad one," Charlotte told her, that same look of worry appearing.

"But he looked perfectly fine yesterday," Jasper spoke, and Heather nodded, agreeing.

"Uh- his immune system is very horrible!" the curly-haired girl piped. "He gets sick- way too easily."

Jasper shrugged at her answer, while Heather tightened her grip on her book. She was not convinced that much. The blonde tapped her foot on the floor as an even more awkward silence was between the group. As they stood there, a group of 3 girls briskly walked by, and they glanced at Heather, Jasper, and Charlotte. They started laughing, high pitched and obnoxious. Heather hated those kind of girls.

"Just ignore them," Charlotte told the blonde. "It's not that much of a deal."

"Yeah, my mom warned me about girls like that," Heather replied, not realizing that she brought up Rey until after she said it. Now, the idea of Rey being her mother wasn't so far-fetched any longer.

"You don't let them get to you," the girl warned. "They just want to waste your time."

Heather nodded at her answer. "Charlotte, you give good advice. I think my mom will like you."

And there she goes again, mentioning Rey. Heather mentally slapped herself- yes, Rey is technically her mother here now but she knew she should stop mentioning her before one of them ask-

"So, you must really care about your mom then?" Charlotte asked her.

Heather wanted to die. "Uh- yeah. I mean, I was adopted by her, so.."

"You're adopted?" Jasper piped.

"Yeah. I'm pretty open about this subject."

 _I really need to shut up._

"That's interesting," Charlotte told her. Heather smiled in reply.

Eventually, the bell rang, so Charlotte, Heather, and Jasper all treaded over to their classrooms. Charlotte still thought of Jasper and Heather. She wondered what was about Heather that made Jasper quite attracted to her. It wasn't like Charlotte thought Heather was a bad person and that the curly-haired boy had a weird preference. The blonde girl was pretty- her hair down to her waist and her eyes were always lit up, charming. But Heather's eyes also gave Charlotte a sense of familiarity. _Why do I feel like I've seen those eyes before, on a different person?_

When class started, Heather tapped her fingers on the textbook as the teacher started to take roll. Heather ignored the first few names until Charlotte's name was called.

"Charlotte Bolton?"

"Here."

Hers after more names.

"Heather Charleston."

"Here."

The next few until Jasper's.

"Jasper Dunlop."

"Here, teacher!"

And Heather dazed off, looking around the room. She paid attention on the ceiling for most of the time, observing the mobiles with science terms hanging off by strings connected to a chain that hung from the ceiling. She could hear her classmates talking, but Heather couldn't identify whose spoke what or what they were even talking about. She snapped back into reality once the teacher called out a specific name.

"Henry Hart?"

Upon hearing the name, Heather blanched. A significant amount. She never bothered with Henry's name until now.

"Uh, he's sick," Charlotte spoke up, and the teacher nodded.

Charlotte looked over at Heather, who had turned shades lighter. "H-Heather? Are you ok?"

Heather continued to stare down at the book, her stomach twisting. _This can't be happening No_

"Heather," Charlotte hissed, shaking the blonde's arm.

"Y-yes?" The girl asked, slowly turning her head the curly-haired girl. "What is it?"

"You just blanked out for a moment. And you got pale. Do you need to go to the nurse?"

At that, Heather immediately shook her head. "What? No- no I do not need to go to the nurse. I'm perfectly fine." Charlotte gave an expression of worry.

"Alright."

* * *

After eating lunch without sight of Charlotte, Heather walked out into the quad and saw Jasper sitting in his normal spot again, under the trees near the path. She sauntered over there, seeing Jasper's head buried in the same book that he was reading the day earlier. The blonde noticed that was very preoccupied in the book, so she sat Indian style right in front of him.

"Hey, Jasper," she told him. Initially he didn't listen until Heather sighed, for which his head shot up and he immediately smiled at her.

"Hey, Heather!" he piped. "I'm half-way through the bucket list. It's the best book ever."

Heather smiled at him, and his cheeks reddened. "That's nice."

"Oh- by the way," she continued, starting to state her actual reason for sitting with him. "Do you know where Charlotte is? I didn't see her in the lunch room."

"Charlotte had to go to an appointment," Jasper replied. "She left at the beginning of lunch."

Heather nodded. "So.. I'm gonna have to hang out with you then."

His cheeks reddened more. "Uh, yeah. But you probably enjoy being with Charlotte and.. Henry."

"I- you're my friend too. You three have distinct personalities. It's better than having friends who act all the same."

Jasper smiled at her. "Thanks."

"No problem, Jasper."

She still thought about earlier, when she took Henry's name into account. Henry _Hart_ \- darn, she hasn't heard her last name in a while. But Heather here was no longer a Hart. She had to be used to that. And it occurred to her that that was probably what Rey meant earlier. Then she thought- was she related to Henry? She simply couldn't be. Not possible.

Heather removed her backpack, and opened it to see her binder and at the bottom, the gum balls. She quickly covered it with a book and took her binder out. She started to do her homework as Jasper seemingly read his book. He would occasionally look up to watch Heather, and would tell himself that Heather was the nicest girl he's ever met. Jasper thought she was pretty, and started to wonder if him and Heather would look good together. He never thought about this kind of stuff.

The blonde looked up at some point to catch Jasper staring at her. He immediately looked down at his book, embarrassed, and Heather smirked, looking back at her worksheet.

 _He likes me doesn't he?_

 _Uh.._

Soon, the familiar sound of the obnoxious laughter was heard. Heather furrowed her brows, and turned her head to see the group of girls from earlier. _Ugh, please turn the other way._

"Heather, isn't it?" the leader called out to her. Heather mentally face palmed.

"Yes," she spoke, straining a smile.

The girl looked to her two other friends, sneering. "I'm Melissa. These are my girls Stephanie and Julia."

"Uh, hi," Heather said, waving to the other two, who seemed to be twin sisters. They had contemptuous smiles on their faces. Heather's brows furrowed even more.

"And _you're_ hanging out with Jasper Dunlop? Ew," Melissa pointed out, and Jasper looked at her in disbelief.

"There's nothing wrong with Jasper," Heather defended, standing up. The girls had eye contact with each other, and starting laughing.

"Honey, there's _everything_ wrong with Jasper."

"I'm _right_ here!"

"Shut up, nobody cares," one of the twins told him. Jasper shrunk in his spot.

"We can tell how uncomfortable you feel. You can hang out with us instead," Melissa told Heather. She looked back at Jasper, and back at Melissa. She shook her head.

"No, I'm fine hanging out with Jasper instead."

"No, you're not fine. Hang out with us."

"Did you hear me? I just said-"

The girls grabbed Heather's stuff from the ground and shoved it to her. They snatched Heather's arm, and dragged her away from Jasper. Heather had no other choice but to say bye.

"I'll see you later, Jasper- hey, don't pull on my arm!" she yelled out. Fighting them was useless. Jasper watched Heather get practically dragged away from him. He furrowed his brows. Did Heather really feel uncomfortable hanging out with him? Jasper only assumed that they were only lying- he knew that they did that a lot, as Henry told him. But he couldn't concentrate on his book as he continued to read it, he only thought of Heather.

* * *

"Why'd you guys call me down here?" Charlotte asked as the elevator door opened to for her to enter the room.

"I need your help," Ray told her, sitting stiffly in the chair next to the control panel. Henry was standing idly, watching the screens. Charlotte treaded over to the duo, crossing her arms.

"With what, exactly?"

"We need to track somebody down," Henry replied. "Ray's having a hard time doing that."

"No- I mean, we need extra assistance," Ray replied, in denial. He glared at Henry, who smirked.

"But you _had_ to get me during school? I had to lie and say Henry was sick today!" Charlotte spoke, exasperated.

"You could've skipped school with me," Henry replied.

" _Henry_."

"Charlotte, remember the convict from yesterday?" Ray asked, standing up from the swivel chair. He walked over to the couch, and sat down, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Yes.. so what?" she asked, her brows furrowed.

"There's more. Apparently they're all heading to one place, which must be their headquarters."

"So, if you found more, why do you need my help? You already know about that."

Ray sighed, hesitant. "I don't know _where_ they're going."

Charlotte groaned, and walked over to the control panel, where she plumped down on the chair. She turned around to the screen, and got the overall map of Swellview to appear. Ray and Henry watched intently as she observed each section of the map. Ray tapped his foot against the floor, becoming impatient. He sighed audibly, and Charlotte stopped, turning around to the man.

"Is something _wrong?_ " Charlotte asked, glaring at Ray.

"Yes, hurry up," Ray told her.

"Well- if you would stop urging me on that's just going to make me work slower," the curly-haired girl pointed out. The brunette man groaned. "Fine."

Eventually, the girl yelped. "Hey! Here's something."

Henry and Ray moved closer to the screen. Charlotte zoomed in on the satellite image of the building. It was in a shabby area of the city, more distanced from the suburban neighborhoods.

"This is where the convicts are meeting," Charlotte spoke, pointing to the screen. "It's near the outskirts of Swellview. It'll take a while to get there, from where we are right now."

"Then we have to go now," Henry said, walking away and grabbing the clear tube of gum balls from his pocket. "The sooner, the better."

"Right," Ray replied, stepping down. He popped a gum ball in his mouth as he and the blond boy walked over to the tubes. Charlotte watched the two, and sighed. _They really would be helpless without me._ Henry and Ray both stood symmetrically aside one another, and as they chewed and chewed and their bubble popped, a bright green light flashing in the form of their bodies and they appeared with their eminent attire. Charlotte smirked.

"Good luck," Charlotte called out to them.

"No need, Char," Henry told the curly-haired girl, smirking.

"Thanks, kid," Ray replied to her, flashing that smile of his.

The man and the boy both treaded to the base of the tubes. They both had eye contact with each other, and then back up.

" _Up the tube!_ " Both yelled in unison, and off they were. Charlotte turned around back to the control panel and the screens. She figured she'd might have to stay awhile, so she began to find more information of the convicts, there whereabouts, and all that jazz.

* * *

"Captain Man, there's the headquarters!" Henry hissed at Ray. They were hiding in a group of shrubs just right behind the building.

"I can see that, Kid Danger."

"We can get inside from the roof- there's some opening there."

"Yes, we can- wait." Ray paused.

Henry looked over at him, confused. "What? What is it?"

Ray's eyes moved back to the opening in the roof of the building. " _Why_ is there an opening?"

The blond shrugged nonchalantly. "Uh, maybe because it was built that way?"

" _No_ \- that's not what I meant. Is that opening intentional?" Ray asked him.

The blond strained his neck above the shrubs, trying to view the opening more lucidly. "So you're saying that.. the criminals opened it on purpose?"

"Because they knew we were coming," Ray concluded. He mentally cursed. "Of course."

"Well, of course they'd know. They were gonna be caught at some point."

"Oh, and how would you know that?"

"Captain, has any of the villains that we dealt with in the past _actually_ gotten away with their plans?" Henry retorted.

..

"No."

Henry rolled his eyes. "You just like thinking you're right."

The man pouted, crossing his arms across his chest. "No I don't."

"Yes you do." The blond replied.

" _No_ , I don't." The brunette replied.

"Ok, can we actually go through with _our_ plans?"

"That's a better idea."

Henry and Ray treaded over to the main area of the headquarters, which was really just a shabby abandoned factory. Cliché, really. But that was usually expected from the villains that the duo had dealt with. Nothing new, much. But the amount of crime was always fun to compete with. It was Ray's past time- he loved doing it. And perhaps he became even more devoted when Henry became his sidekick.

Henry, on the other hand, also loved the crime. Taking that oath was especially important to him. But at the expense that he still wasn't allowed to tell anybody. He felt guilty not telling his family and Jasper. Although, he hoped that when he told them, they'd be understanding. .. _If_ he told them.

So they reached the building, where Henry sprinted towards the rusty ladder that was placed on the brick wall. He jumped up, grabbed the railing, and began to climb. Ray began after, following him. As they ascended up the ladder, Ray started to tell Henry their plans.

"So I'm guessing that when we go through that opening in the roof, it would lead to somewhere important. Say, a hallway to their meeting room. Most likely."

"But- it's an abandoned factory. Wouldn't the meeting room be the whole building, technically?"

Ray gripped one hand on the railing, the other slapped Henry's shin, and the blond yelped in pain. " _You know what I mean!_ "

The boy shook his head. He reached the concrete, and grabbed onto it, bringing himself up to the foundation of the roof. Ray went after Henry, and looked around the area. The opening of the roof was right near the edge of the front of the building, and the duo slowly walked towards the opening. It was just a tile removed that led to the inside. But once Ray crouched down and observed the outline of the orifice more, he realized the faint burn marks on the outline. He instantly knew what did that.

"A laser was used to cut the opening," Ray explained to Henry. "You see the burn marks on the outer part? It was definitely a laser."

"Ok, you go first," he continued. Henry looked down at him, aghast.

" _Me?_ Why?"

"You found the opening."

"So?"

"Well, _go first_."

Henry turned from the opening to the edge of the building. He saw the familiar flashing lights of blue and red below, and he peaked down from the ledge. "Fine then," Ray muttered, putting his leg down first. The blond's eyes widened, and started trying to get Ray's attention. "Ray," he hissed at him.

Ray looked back up. "What?"

"Come here- look."

The brunette took his foot out of the opening and peaked down along with Henry. His eyes widened as well. On floor elevation, 3 police cars surrounded the front of the factory, where officers were escorting men clad in black who were barely conscious and tied up to their vehicles. Ray whipped his head to Henry. "How are they already here? We didn't even get them yet."

"Look, those are the convicts," Henry pointed out, and Ray looked below again, and paled.

"What- how- _how_ ," Ray sputtered.

"That's what _I'd_ like to know as well," the blond replied. "We should get down there."

The man nodded, and the duo proceeded to climb down the ladder once again. They sauntered over to the police cars, and Ray straightened his shoulders, making it look like he somehow contributed to it. Which, Henry knew it was an obvious lie.

"Captain Man!" the officers greeted, waving. The brunette waved back, flashing the smile again. Not hearing his name, Henry waved at them as well, wanting to be part of it. No one batted an eyelid, and the blond glared at them. Ray went to the nearest officer, and put his hands on his hips.

"We caught the bad guys for you," Ray obviously lied, and Henry had to restrain himself from face palming.

"Oh, that's great, except.." the officer trailed off. The brunette stopped smiling at once.

"Officer, is there a problem?"

"Yes," another officer arrived, crossing his arms. "You and Kid Danger _didn't_ catch the bad guys."

Ray gave the two a sheepish look. "Well, I'm Captain Man. Of course I did."

"No. We saw you two just arriving when we already did. The convicts were already tied up and unconscious in the building." The officer pointed out, glaring at Ray for lying.

"Uh.." The man trailed off, not knowing what to say next.

"Wait, did you just say that the convicts were already caught?" Henry piped out, and the officer nodded.

"Yes. Whoever did it, made out jobs a lot easier."

"Yeah.. a _lot_ easier," Ray hissed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Wait- officers," the blond called out for them. "Do you know _who_?"

The two men shared a glance at each other, and shook her heads. "No clue. We'd like to find out, so we can award them for their generous act."

The brunette man grunted, turning away. Henry could feel how angry Ray was.

"Ok. Uh, thanks.. anyways," Henry told them. They smiled in appreciation. Ray still stood stiffly, glaring at the ground as more of the convicts were being escorted out. Henry had to practically drag Ray back to the shop, and to the Man Cave. The whole time, Ray was complaining and complaining and the boy wanted to die. Actually, no he didn't. His last words would be the man's complaints then. Henry just wanted him to stop.

As they exited the elevator, they found Charlotte splayed across the couch. Ray walked in the room, disgruntled. He ordered a cola and plopped down on the couch next to Charlotte's feet. The man hastily opened it and took a swig. Henry smirked.

"Oh, you guys came back early," Charlotte said idly as she was on her phone.

"Yeah, and Ray's mad that somebody already found the convicts," Henry replied.

Charlotte shot up from the couch. "Wait, what?! Before you guys?"

" _Yes_ ," Ray hissed out.

"Who?" the curly-haired girl asked, standing up.

"We don't know," the boy told her. "All we know is that they arrived way before we did, and now Ray's still upset."

"I could check," Charlotte suggested, motioning to the control panel. Ray whipped his head to her. "Yes, please do. I _need_ to see who it is."

Charlotte treaded over to the panel, and sat down in the swivel chair once again. She began typing, looking up at the screen. Henry saw that it had read _Supers in the Radius of: Swellview._

The words _Within 5/10/20/50/100/200 miles: None Found_ appeared, and Charlotte sighed. "Sorry, Ray, I got nothing."

Ray stood up, crushing the aluminum can in his hand, and threw it across the room. The loud sound of it hitting the floor startled Henry and Charlotte.

"Who the _heck_ could it be?!" Ray exclaimed, his voice raising.

He turned to the teens, who had frightened expressions on their faces. "We are _not_ going to stop looking. I need to know who stopped them before I did."

"Uh, before _we_ did," Henry corrected.

"Yeah, whatever," Ray shrugged it off, and the blond once again gave him a look of disbelief. He stormed back to his room, leaving Charlotte and Henry in the main area.

* * *

Heather walked towards the entrance of Clothes Landing, where she could barely see Rey rushing in from the back, shuffling the papers on the counter and trying to reorganize everything near her. She smirked, opening the glass door. At once, Rey stopped, a strained smile upon her face, her hands on her hips.

"Heather! Hey..!"

"Hey, Rey," Heather replied to her.

"So, uh, how was school?" Rey asked, putting a lock of her hair behind her ear. Heather placed her backpack on the counter.

"Eh, it was alright. Henry wasn't here today so I had to hang out with Charlotte and Jasper for the majority of the time."

"Oh- Henry, Charlotte, and Jasper..?" Rey asked, her smile straining even more. "Those are your friends' names?"

The blonde nodded. "Rey, are you ok? You look worried."

The brunette brushed it off. "No, kid. It's fine. Don't worry."

"Oh, alright then.." Heather trailed off, grabbing her backpack again and turned around. As she was about to head to the back, she stopped in her tracks, observing the sign on the window. The blonde walked slowly towards it, seeing the _Open_ part of the sign. She grabbed it, and turned to Rey.

"Rey, why is the sign at _Closed_?" Heather asked, raising an eyebrow. As soon as she asked, Rey rushed over to her, and grabbed the sign from her hand.

"Uh- that was a mistake on.. my hand! S-sorry!" Rey yelped, hastily switching the sign back to _Open_ , and stuck it on the window. "No big deal, ha!"

Heather stood there, initially confused at what Rey had just done, and turned away, walking back to the back. "O..k.."

As the blonde girl left, Rey sighed as she walked back to the counter, burying her face in her hands.

"I can't believe I just lied to her.."

Rey couldn't stop her temptation earlier at the abandoned factory.

* * *

 **Chapter Two! The group of girls are just some generic characters I introduced. I don't like having too many OCs in one story, but I had to make an exception there. Reviews and constructive criticism welcome!**


	3. Keeping Secrets

**Opposites But Not**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own the show, characters, excluding Rey and Heather. I only own the plot!

* * *

"Jasper, they've been gone for 3 days now since today. When are they coming back?" Heather asked with a worried tone. She crossed her arms over her chest as she watched Jasper get his textbook from his locker. He turned to her with a similar expression.

"I don't know. They don't usually do this," he replied, shrugging. "Well, at least you know me!"

The blonde smiled at him, and the boy blushed. "Yeah, you.."

"So, uh," Jasper began. "Do you- uh, want to- m-maybe, hang out a-at lunch-"

Melissa and the twin girls stormed over where Heather and Jasper were standing, and the raven-haired girl put her hands on her hips. She furrowed her brows, sneering at the two.

"Hey, _Heather_ ," Melissa greeted to her. "And.."

"Melissa, you already know my name," Jasper told her, glaring.

"Shut up, nobody cares about what you say," one of the twins yelled at him. He turned away, upset.

"So, your little Hen and Char not here today?" the girl taunted, and Heather rolled her eyes.

"Yeah. So what, your little life not here today either?" Heather jeered, and the girls had mocked surprise on their faces.

"Well aren't _you_ feisty," Stephanie spoke up, standing in front of Melissa. "I can't believe you're wasting your time with Jasper."

"Ok, what do you have against me?" the curly-haired boy asked, a look of disbelief on his face.

" _Everything,_ " Julia replied. "Now shut up."

The boy huffed, hugging his book tightly across his chest. Heather moved towards them, her brown eyes locking with the raven-haired girl's icy blue ones. Both brows furrowed, both arms crossed. Both groups of friends watched intently, trying to see what would occur next. Jasper had a worried look on his face- he didn't want to see Heather fighting somebody already. Wording this as if he wanted to wait a few months before she'd start to slap someone. As soon as Melissa advanced, Mrs. Shapen fortunately passed by. She stopped, seeing Melissa and Heather nearly at each other's throats.

"Everything alright here? Heather?" the woman asked the group. They all said variations of yes, Heather flashing a fake smile. Melissa wanted to punch that smile off.

The teacher left, and the raven-haired girl turned back to Heather. "You're lucky a teacher stopped us. I would've done worse things to you."

And off she went, Stephanie and Julia following after her. Jasper lightly touched Heather on the shoulder, which startled her.

"Are you ok?" Jasper asked the blonde. She nodded.

"Yeah, I'm alright," Heather replied.

"It looks like they're giving you a hard time."

"No.. I'm fine, really. You don't have to worry about me," she assured him. Heather herself wasn't even sure if she was fine.

"Well, ok then," Jasper replied, supposedly convinced. "Do you wanna head to class together?"

"Sure." Heather and Jasper started to walk down the hall, the curly-haired boy moving closer to the blonde. At some point, Jasper put a hand on her back, and she stiffened, feeling awkward. Heather smiled at him, pretending to be oblivious.

 _Henry and Charlotte please come back.._

* * *

The blonde's prayers were answered the next day when she saw the blonde boy and curly-haired girl near the locker-clad wall. She nearly skipped over to them, a grin on her face.

"Henry! Charlotte! You're back.." Heather spoke, and the two smiled at her.

"Yeah, we're back," Henry replied, hands in his front pockets.

"Did anything happen while we were gone?" Charlotte asked. _Maybe between you and Jasper?_

Heather delved into the memories of the previous days, but could only see a familiar scene- Melissa and the twins would always drag her away from Jasper. It was quite irritating to her; she had no clue as to why they even bothered with her, she's only been here for a few days. And the blonde knew that she's never met them before, so _why?_

"Hm, not much," Heather told her. "Quite uneventful, actually."

Charlotte smirked. "Then I'm guessing we didn't miss out on anything."

The blonde girl had a sheepish look. "Yeah.."

Henry and Charlotte shared a look. "Wait, did nothing really happen that much?" Henry asked her.

Heather's anxiety shot up. "Y-yes! Nothing h-happened!"

The curly-haired girl and the blond boy locked eyes again. "Are _you_ sure..?"

Their answer was unheard, to the relief of Heather, when Jasper walked up to the three teens. He started to hug Henry, who yelped at the sudden contact, and then Charlotte, who immediately pushed him away. He released, smiling at them.

"Where were you? You guys were gone for 3 days," Jasper told them, and they instantly stiffened.

"Uh.." Henry began. "We went.. on vacation..!"

"It's October," Heather pointed out.

"We actually went.. camping!" Charlotte piped, and Henry nodded.

"Yes, camping. Oh, the woods are so fun."

Henry and Charlotte hoped they were convinced. Jasper had a pondering look on his face as Heather furrowed her brows.

"You went camping.. without me?" Jasper exclaimed. "Man, we could've collected pine cones!"

 _You're worried about that?_ "Are you lying?" Heather asked, rather suspicious.

At that, they instantly shook their heads. "No, we're not.. what makes you think that?"

"Well, Henry first mentioned a vacation, then Charlotte mentioned camping.."

"Oh yeah," Jasper spoke. "I didn't notice that. Heather, you have a good ear." Heather smiled at that, and Jasper smiled back at her. Charlotte smirked at what she was seeing as Henry's eyes began to dilate. _What was happening?!_

"That- that was a mistake of mine!" Henry piped, crossing his arms across his chest. "And.. I.. apologize."

Heather gave him a look, one that spoke of suspicion, and just plain unconvinced. Henry gave her, in reply, a sheepish look. "What? Sometimes I mix up my words."

Soon, a beeping sound was heard. Henry instantly looked down to the watch on his wrist, which was blinking. The sound was quite loud, and Heather and Jasper watched with curiosity. Charlotte's eyes widened at the sound, and motioned Henry to go. As the blond ran away, Charlotte looked up at Jasper and Heather, who had confused looks on their faces.

"Uh.. that was his.. alarm!" Charlotte told them.

"For what?" Jasper asked.

"So- so he can go to class early to p-pick up his homework! I bet there's a lot.." the curly-haired girl trailed off.

"Then shouldn't you go with him?" Heather asked her, and Charlotte nodded.

"Yeah- be right back!" Charlotte exclaimed, and ran in the same direction as Henry did.

Jasper and Heather shared a look, and then Heather looked down at the bracelet wrapped around her wrist. It was a wrist watch bracelet, which Heather hadn't even known it was a thing until Rey gave it to her, held together by red and blue bands. She observed the unlit light that outlined the circumference of the watch itself. The blonde couldn't admit that she almost looked down at her own watch when the beeping sound was heard.

"Heather, how're you doing?"

 _Melissa. Why does she even care?_

"Come, stay with us."

"No, Melissa, I'm fine."

"I _told you_ to call me Mel!-" she stopped, seeing Jasper furrow his brows in response to her. "I- just come with me-"

"No- don't you drag me-"

Melissa grabbed Heather's arm, pulling her away from Jasper, who waved bye at Heather. She attempted to wave back, but the raven-haired girl pulled her around the corner before he could see the blonde.

* * *

Heather saw the familiar friends who both had curly hair. Though, again, a lack of blond, after 2 days that he was actually here.

"Is Henry gone again?" the blonde asked, getting quite exasperated.

"Yeah," Charlotte replied to her. "Keeps getting sick."

 _No he doesn't._ "Alright, then.."

 _There really was something going on. Especially with Henry. I couldn't tell what, but I don't like having secrets kept from me._

* * *

The pattern was evident to her- it would go on a few weeks at a time. Henry would be absent for a whole day. Both Henry and Charlotte would be absent for 2 or 3 days. They'd arrive for only half the day and leave again. It reminded Heather of her own methods. _Except I did mine for another reason._

Heather resulted in hanging out with Melissa and the blonde twins, since being with Jasper was a lost cause. They somehow always found her whereabouts and dragged her away from the curly-haired boy and his own friends. It was _irritating_ to her, but maybe also a kind gesture, as Oliver and Sidney would act strangely _Or did they just act like that?_ and she could see the annoyance in Jasper's eyes as they always stood closely to the blonde.

"You know, you guys don't have to stand so close to her," Jasper spoke up as the two were talking to Heather.

Sidney and Oliver looked up at him. "Well, she has to see the magazine we brought her."

The blonde strained a smile. "Maybe Jasper was right. I mean, you don't have to put it so close to me. I can't see it that well."

"Sure you can," Oliver told her, pushing the magazine closer to her. "Here."

"I.."

"Respect her wishes," Sidney scolded, showing a page to her once he pulled it farther from her face. "Do you think it's cool?"

"Uh.. yeah.. the red hoverboard looks pretty cool to me," Heather spoke.

"Personally, I like the blue one," Jasper interrupted, smirking. Heather turned to him.

"Red looks better."

"Nah, blue."

"Red."

"Blue."

" _Heather?_ " The girl heard the familiar voice once again and mentally face palmed. She turned around slowly to see the raven-haired girl, Melissa, and the blonde twins Stephanie and Julia, standing in similar stances. Oliver and Sidney stared at them in awe.

"Mel.. hi.." Heather trailed off, straining a smile.

"Why are you hanging out with these _losers_?" Stephanie asked, giving the boys near Heather a disgusted look.

"Hi Stephanie," the brunette boy and the boy with glasses told her in unison. She immediately turned away, disgruntled.

"You're our friends," Melissa told her, reaching for her shoulder. "You should be with us."

"Why do you always force her to be with you?" Jasper asked, stomping to Melissa. "She doesn't have to."

Melissa shared a look with Stephanie and Julia, and started laughing. "Yes, she does. She's our friend."

"Well, sometimes your friends can hang out with other people," the curly haired boy retorted. "I mean, when Henry and Charlotte aren't here, I hang out with Oliver and Sidney."

The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes. "Maybe Henry and Charlotte are here, except they just don't want to be associated with you, weirdo."

"No, Henry and Charlotte actually aren't here today," Heather told her, locking eyes with the girl. "And Jasper's their best friend."

"Oh, maybe they left because of _you_ , then?" Julia asked, and Melissa glared at her.

"Not yet, Julia," she hissed at her.

"Henry and Charlotte aren't like that," Jasper told Julia with a suddenly stern voice. "I know they aren't."

"Then why are they always gone? I never see them in class anymore," Melissa pointed out.

"I.." Jasper turned to Heather, who gave him a worried look. "I- we actually don't know.."

The leader of the group grabbed Heather tightly by the arm once again. "You're pathetic," she called out to Jasper, and the three girls left with the blonde.

Melissa dragged Heather to the quad, where she roughly let go of her as they stood under the trees.

"What do you think you're doing?" The girl asked Heather, irritated.

"I'd like to ask _you_ that, since you keep dragging me away from my friends!" Heather retorted.

"Your _friends?_ " She asked, laughing. "Honey, they aren't your friends. We are."

"Am I not allowed to have another group of friends?"

"Well- it's just that you always look uncomfortable with them," Stephanie told her.

" _Really?_ Because I'm sure I was having a better time with them than I ever had with you guys."

The raven-haired girl's nostrils flared, anger evident in her eyes. She was tempted to swing her arm across the blonde's face, but she already knew how _stubborn_ Heather was. She had to prevent herself from doing so.

"You- you don't know what y-you're talking about," Melissa accused. "We're being nice- we're helping you a-around since you just transferred..!"

"I transferred _weeks_ ago, Melissa. I can handle myself now," Heather replied.

"Shut up, and let her talk," Julia told her angrily. Heather glared at her.

"And- we really liked you! So.. if you even _think_ about hanging out with Jasper, Charlotte, or Henry again, we're going to hurt you."

Heather blanched. "In every way. Not just physically," Stephanie warned.

The blonde's eyes dilated. _What is up with them?!_

"We're gonna make a deal, Heather Charleston. Do you want to be a failure, an embarrassment, a friendless loser here at Swellview Junior High?"

She shook her head.

"Are you going to betray us in any way possible?"

The blonde answered the same way.

"Then agree with me. You're only going to hang out with us. Deal?" Melissa asked, raising a groomed eyebrow. Heather nodded as the raven-haired girl put out a hand. She hesitantly put her hand out, and shook it. Her grip was tight as a strained smile appeared. The other smiled at her as well, but quickly turned into a sneer, which Heather noticed very well.

* * *

"Ray was so close to falling off the bridge yesterday."

"And you helped him, didn't you?"

"Of course I did. I mean, it was about to collapse anyways. But I grabbed him before it was too late- I could feel the adrenaline running through me yesterday.."

Heather walked slowly by Henry and Charlotte as they stood by the lockers, and they turned to the blonde, who waved at her. "Hey, Heather..!" She gave them a look of mock surprise, and waved hastily.

"Uh.. Heather, are you alright?" Henry asked her, and she instantly motioned to not speak to her.

"What- what are you doing? Why?" Charlotte spoke, confused.

The blonde whipped her head to her left, and then to her right. She leaned in, brows furrowed. "I can't talk right now."

Henry had a perplexed look on her face. "Why not?"

Heather's eye twitched, a pang of anxiety rushing over her. "I.. uh.."

The blonde turned around, and nearly jumped when she saw Stephanie with her back turned talking to a boy. A cute one, Heather noted. She locked eyes with Henry and Charlotte again.

"Sorry- I gotta go."

"Wait- Heather," Henry called out to her, but she already bolted across the corner, leaving the two alone again. The blond and the curly-haired girl shared a look.

"I wonder why Heather can't speak to us.." Charlotte began. "I mean- do you think something's wrong?"

The boy shrugged. "I'm not sure.. she seems like the kind of person to say what's wrong. Maybe there isn't something wrong."

"Henry, there _is_ something wrong, I just know it," the girl spoke. Her eyes moved to her left, where Heather had looked previously. There was a blonde girl with her back turned talking to someone.

"Do you think Heather knows her?" Charlotte whispered to him.

"I guess- she _did_ look that way, and at her. And then ran away," he murmured.

"Wait- I know who that is. That's Stephanie, the twin."

"Right! She's Julia's twin, isn't she?"

Charlotte nodded. "They're friends with Melissa. Remember, the girl that tried to push you while running the mile during P.E?"

Henry's brows knitted, his mouth now formed in a straight line. "Yes, I remember that. I bumped into Jasper."

The curly haired girl chuckled. "It's still funny to think about."

He frowned, crossing his arms across his chest. "It wasn't _that_ funny."

"Yes, it was."

"No, it wasn't. _Charlotte!_ "

Heather stood behind the corner, seeing Henry's back turned to her as he communicated with Charlotte. She sighed, shutting her eyes closed. _When did I become this way?_ They were oblivious to the presence of the blonde girl who was standing stiffly, her back against the blue and purple lockers. Some walking by gave her strange looks, and she ignored all of them, only seeking relevant people- Henry, Charlotte, Jasper, or Melissa and Julia. She cursed how unlucky she was. Every time she would meet up with her _actual_ friends, it was always Melissa that would be the obstacle. _Why_ did Melissa despise her so much? She hadn't even known her until Charlotte pointed her out.

 _No really, why am I suddenly spying on my friends? Did Melissa do this too?_

 _Sure, they have a secret. But it's not any of my business. I shouldn't care._

 _.. It's weird to be in this position. I'm usually the one that has the secrets._

Soon enough, Heather saw Stephanie turn and walk in her direction. She grabbed her backpack from the floor and stomped away, hoping the twin wouldn't notice. Once she thought she was safe, Heather turned around to face Stephanie directly. Both yelped, and jumped away. Stephanie's brief surprise quickly turned to her normal, hatred- induced face. She put her hands on her hips.

"Aren't you supposed to be with Mel?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Shouldn't _you_ be with Mel?" Heather replied, and Stephanie knitted her brows.

"I had to talk to Max, and she let me," Stephanie told her, gesturing to the boy who started talking to his own group of friends.

"I- I couldn't find her.."

Stephanie groaned. "She's in the girl's bathroom with Julia, when I saw her before I left. She's reapplying her foundation."

Heather had to restrain from rolling her eyes. "Thanks, Stephanie."

She swore that she saw a genuine smile from the girl, but it must've been a trick of the light because Stephanie started to grab her arm, roughly taking her in the direction of the bathrooms. _Why do they always do that?_

* * *

Stephanie brought Heather to the bathrooms, where she found the raven-haired girl using a stipple brush to apply her foundation, and Stephanie's twin, where she stood crossing her arms, watching Melissa reapply her makeup. Melissa turned from the mirror to Heather, and an obviously fake smile appeared on her face. "Heather! Hey there."

"Yeah, hi," Heather spoke, waving.

"This foundation was being stubborn so I'm reapplying it," she told her, turning back to the mirror.

"In the school bathroom?"

Melissa put down the stipple brush, and whipped her head to the blonde, who shrunk back at where she was standing. "Yes, so? There's a mirror here, for all I care about."

Heather had to mentally agree with her. She wasn't _that_ stupid. Though it was a bit weird.

"So, Steph, how was Max?" Melissa asked the twin as she looked down at her phone. She looked up.

"Pretty good," Stephanie told her, and added a smile. "He's hoping to bring me out on a date sometime."

"Cute," Julia cooed.

"Isn't it?" Stephanie replied.

Heather stood awkwardly, hearing their conversations going on. Stephanie and Julia continued talking about their boyfriends, named Max and Anthony. The blonde could care less, until she noticed that Melissa had never mentioned having a boyfriend. _Did she not have one?_

"Mine's at marching band camp, or whatever he calls it," Melissa answered Stephanie's question, and supposedly Heather's, as well.

"He plays percussion, doesn't he?" Julia asked, interested.

"Yes," the raven-haired girl replied. "I thought I told you that.."

"Oh, right," the other twin spoke, letting out a dry chuckle. Heather wanted to face palm.

"So.. _Heather_ ," Melissa began, turning to the girl. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

Heather's eyes widened at that question. _I haven't had once since Billy. Or Chris.._

"Uh, no," she replied.

"Really?" Stephanie asked. "Even where you came from?"

The blonde stiffened. "Y-yeah."

"That's too bad," Julia told her boldly and she wouldn't hesitate to slap her if she was told to.

"Probably because of those clothes," Melissa muttered. Heather whipped her head to the girl in front of the mirror.

"Excuse me?" _Was she trying to start something?_

"What was that?" The raven-haired girl turned to her. "Did you say anything Heather?"

Heather rolled her eyes. "Yes, and did you say anything about _me?_ "

Melissa had a face of mock surprise. "Oh, did I? I had _no_ clue."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Sure you did, _Melissa._ "

Her nostrils flared. "I said to call me _Mel!_ "

The blonde girl would like to note that Melissa had a short temper. But she already had known that the moment she met her. _Self esteem problems too? Probably._ She stomped on over to Heather, her nostrils flaring and her eyebrows knit together. Heather stiffened, watching her walk over to her and close the space between them.

"Who do you think you are, _scrub?"_ Melissa accused, glaring at Heather, and Heather's jaw dropped in utmost shock.

" _What_ did you just call me?" Heather asked, still in surprise. " _That's_ a horrible thing to say."

"So?" The raven-haired girl scoffed. "I can act worse."

She pushed Heather back, whose back slammed against the bathroom wall. Melissa tightly grasped Heather's collar, and shoved her face up to her own. Heather tried to move her head back as Melissa did so, but her head could go back so far before it hit the door. She yelped at the sudden contact of the glass against her head.

"You're just a little gullible punk," she told her, gripping her collar tighter. "And _we_ made a deal. That you won't go running off to those stupid people."

"Henry, Charlotte, and Jasper aren't stupid!" Heather exclaimed, kicking her feet but in all times missing Melissa's legs.

"You're saying that because you're stupid just like they are," Melissa hissed, and shoved her against the door again. "You think you can trick me, seeing them while I'm not around?"

"I didn't even _know_ where you were!" the blonde spoke, cringing as her knuckles dug into her throat.

"Sure you didn't! _Liar!_ " Melissa yelled, and twisted her around, slamming the front of her body against the door. She grabbed Heather's arm, putting it behind her back. Heather cringed even more at the pain as she felt her cheekbone have contact with the door. It began to throb, and she shut her eyes closed and bit her lip tightly at an attempt to endure the pain she was currently feeling. Her feet were anchored to the floor as Melissa pushed her arm back further, and she shrieked. The raven-haired girl kicked her in the shin. " _Shut up, Heather!"_

"Am I _supposed_ to be quiet while you dislocate my arm and injure me?"

" _Yes._ " Heather growled at her response.

"Get off of me," Heather hissed at her. "You have no right of doing this."

"Of course I do," Melissa hissed back. "Because you're just some transfer girl with no life."

"I didn't _ask_ you to describe yourself," Heather replied, and yelped again when Melissa kicked her in the shin again. Heather could see Stephanie and Julia only watching, sneers on both faces as they watched her be beaten, abused, and they did nothing other than that. And it hurt, not only physically.

"I thought it would take longer for you to break that promise, but I guess you're just too stupid," the girl told her. "Shame."

At that, Heather's mind went back to that day, weeks ago, on that cliff. The darkened skies, the adrenaline rushing through her veins, as she ran and ran and climbed, climbed those rugged mountains up to the apex where she and Rey would become face to face with _him_ , she hated saying his name because it just gave her _so_ many horrible memories, of her failure. Rey almost died, but she was able to get her. Even though she was indestructible, she didn't want to let Rey assumed she let her guard down. And when he insulted Rey, saying those words of _Shame_ , Heather wanted to do something. Leading her to here, where she'd do anything to stop Melissa. Even if it resulted her in becoming Girl Danger.

..

But she couldn't.

Hurt was an underestimation.

Heather was able to finally get out of her grasp, and she hastily opened the bathroom door, running down the hallway. She didn't dare look back, if Melissa was running after her. She couldn't care less if Henry and Charlotte saw her leaving, if anyone stared while she tried to escape. The blonde just wanted to leave, fast. She thought she could bear it. She might've been wrong.

And when she ran all that distance home, back at the shop, she opened the door, stomped down the stairs where she slowed, wiping the tears that formed in her eyes, and buried her head in her arms as she stood against the front counter. Footsteps were heard minutes later, relaxed, nonchalant ones. When they passed through the front, they became quicker. Louder, as they stormed over to Heather. A hand was placed on her shoulder, a soft grip.

..

"Heather?" the voice asked.

It was Rey, worry evident in her tone. The blonde slowly looked up to find her blue eyes that screamed anxiety, _worry,_ paranoia. She knew that her own face was flushed, tears streaming down her face as her eyes were puffy, a light mark against her left cheek.

"Heather- what happened, _God_ , what's wrong?"

Her mouth twitched, as if she wanted to answer. No words formed as she went through the back door, ascending the stairs. Rey's footsteps followed, and she could feel how close the woman was behind her. The brunette called her name several times, but to no avail did she stop to listen. The blonde dropped her backpack on the floor as she headed to her room, tears still streaming down her face.

Rey decided to give her time.

..

She ended up watching television again begrudgingly, her mind still in chaos as she tried to develop ideas as to why Heather was acting that way. Sure, hormones, but Rey concluded that it must've been something that happened during school. But the only way to find out.. was to ask her.

The brunette thought she still wasn't ready to talk yet, since she hasn't left her room in the time that had elapsed. She allowed her space, but Rey wasn't that patient. Rey grabbed the remote from the coffee table, and changed the current channel to the news. She groaned once she saw another incident happening. One that involved a burglary.

This, unfortunately, was also when Heather decided to exit her room, in an attempt to actually tell Rey what was wrong. She gingerly stepped down to the living room, where she saw the television on and the brunette intently watching. Her grip on the remote tightened, her knuckles becoming the color of paper.

"..Rey?"

Said person whipped her head around. "Kid?"

Heather gave her a small smile. "Sorry about what happened earlier.."

Rey gave her a stern look. "You should _not_ be sorry for that. Do you mind telling me what happened today?"

The blonde sat next to her on the couch. "Well.. uh.."

She was interrupted when the news anchors started elaborating on the incident.

"The man was last seen interrogating the owner. We just hope Captain Man and Kid Danger save him soon."

Heather's breath hitched. " _That_ ," she told her, and the woman was oblivious to her own lie.

"Oh.." Rey immediately had a look of guilty, and she leaned in to wrap her arms around Heather. "Heather, you know we can't.."

"I _really_ want to fight the crime, I just got so upset because we can't do that anymore," Heather told her, her eyes weary. "I missed making the city a better place with you."

Heather couldn't bring herself to tell Rey what had actually happened. She didn't want it to be such a big deal between the two. Especially, the blonde didn't want Rey to worry about her even more.

Rey sighed, her eyebrows knitting together. "Yes.. so did I.."

Now they both had secrets one couldn't reveal to the other. Except one's secret would come out earlier out of specific circumstances.

* * *

 **Here's chapter three. I hesitated writing this one because this might not end up being my favorite (rewrote a few sequences) so I hope it's not too bad. A looooot of drama here. Reviews and constructive criticism welcome!**


	4. The TBH Game

**Opposites But Not**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own the show, characters, excluding Rey and Heather. I only own the plot!

So I'm aware that the previous chapters have been Heather-centered (considering Henry, which the show is about him), but I'll try to elaborate on Rey or some of the other characters later on. Off I go.

* * *

The blonde who has splayed across her bed heard a faint knock at the door. She turned her body to face the door, her eyes still shut.

"Heather? Can I come in?" Rey asked through the door. Heather groaned, before saying, "Yes."

And enter Rey, who comes in with a wooden tray in hand. Heather peaked an eye open, seeing the brunette standing by her bed with a smug grin on her face.

"W-what's that?" she mumbled, eyeing the tray.

"I made breakfast for you," the woman replied, a pleased tone in her voice.

"Why? You didn't have to," Heather told her, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

"Of course I did. You were feeling down yesterday, I felt bad, so I made my _very_ famous Woman Cakes with real Canadian maple syrup."

The girl blinked at her. "It's not _that_ famous."

She gave the girl sitting on the bed a stern look, before answering, "You're kinda right."

Rey shrugged, placing the tray on the nearby desk. She turned back to Heather, and sat promptly by her feet on the bed.

"How're you feeling, kid?"

Heather looked away. "Not necessarily better.." she muttered. "But thanks for the breakfast, anyways."

The brunette sighed, a worried look on her face. Heather could see the increasingly dark lids under her eyes, and a pang of guilt flushed through the girl. _Was it because of me?_

"I'm just.. worried about you. I mean, ever since we came here to Swellview.."

"I've been acting different."

Rey nodded. "I can tell how stressed you are. Shifting to a different lifestyle."

Heather gave her a sheepish look. "I thought I could adjust, like you said. Rey, it's been _weeks_."

"I'm aware. It's much more difficult than I thought it would be.. sorry, Heather."

She brushed her statement off. "It's ok, Rey. But we _will_ find a solution to this."

"I hope."

The blonde lightly kicked Rey in the arm, who whipped her head to her. "Not _I hope_ , we will definitely solve it."

Rey smirked at her. "I'm glad you're here. Would've gone insane by now."

"As if you haven't already."

The brunette had a look of mock surprise. "Captain Woman? Insane?" She grabbed Heather's leg, pulling her out of the bed, and she fell on her bottom with a light thud. Heather tried to kick her away, snickering, but Rey was able to snatch her feet and tickle the arch. The blonde bursted out laughing, holding her sides. Her laugh as quite contagious, as the woman starts to laugh along with her.

"Y-yes, you a-are i- _insane!_ " Heather gasps out between laughs.

"Think again, Girl Danger!" Rey exclaims, tickling her more, a grin on her face.

"S-stop- Rey!" the blonde says, still laughing. Rey does stop, getting up and putting her hands on her hips.

"How do you feel _now?_ " Rey asks her, raising an eyebrow.

"Much better," Heather replied, looking up at her.

"Well, you should eat the amazing breakfast I made you and get dressed," the brunette tells Heather. "It's a weekend, have fun."

"Thanks, Rey," she calls out to Rey as she exits the room. Heather walked to the door, and closed it. She looked down at the tray on her desk, which also had a small flower that sat next to the plate of food. The blonde had a small smile on her face. Her hand hovered to pick up the flower, until she saw the clear tube again.

Her brows knitted, seeing the blue and red gum balls gleam at her. _Stupid gum balls._

But what ever she did, even as she finished her food and began to get dressed, her head would always turn to the tube on the desk, sitting idly. Heather moved towards the windows, where she gingerly closed the curtains. She walked back to the desk, and hastily grabbed the tube. As she popped the lid open, she quickly locked the door before she stood in the middle of the room, putting a gum ball in her hand. She looked down, uncertainty rushing through her.

 _Just once more. Get it over with._

Heather dropped it in her mouth, chewing slowly. As she chewed, she could hear faint footsteps outside of her door, and would stop chewing. _What if Rey unlocks the door and sees me? This was a bad idea._

She didn't stop herself from blowing a bubble. A pop was heard, and Heather could see the familiar green light flash from her toes and ascended to the top of her head, her pajamas shifting to the accustomed feel of the leather and the fabric, her barefoot feet now covered by the black laced combat boots. And, the feel of the mask that surrounded her eyes. A smile appeared once, and as an instinct Heather put her hands on her hips.

The blonde rotated to the wall mirror, where she felt her smile widening. Seeing herself clad in her suit made it feel like home again. She knew that the feeling wouldn't last long, cherishing it would be a good idea. Heather did a few poses in front of the mirror, chuckling to herself.

 _Maybe Rey will be lenient. As long as I don't do any harm other than just wearing the suit._

Heather unlocked the door and walked down the steps, and saw Rey having a very intent conversation on the phone.. with _her_ phone. She stormed over to Rey, who initially didn't notice Heather, but once she looked down at Heather again her eyebrows raised and a look of shock was on her face, even as she continued to talk to someone on Heather's phone.

"Yes- I think that's a great idea.."

Heather gave her a look in disbelief. Rey _has_ a phone, so why didn't she bother with her own? And where did she even find Heather's phone? Heather saw her backpack still lain on the floor next to the couch, and then nodded in understanding.

"In the afternoon? She's free, of course."

..

"I don't think she'll mind," Rey spoke, winking at Heather who still watched her in suspicion.

" _I_ wouldn't mind either," she said with a chuckle, and the blonde face palmed. "Hey- what's your name again?"

 _Yes. Rey asking the important questions here._

"Melissa- well it was nice meeting you!"

Heather's heart sank to the bottom of her abdomen. She froze in her stance, her jaw slack.

"Bye," Rey finished, moving the phone away from her face. She instantly whipped her head back to Heather, who was in an equal amount of shock. Rey gestured to her clothing and the blonde pointed to her phone in Rey's hand.

"Y-you-!"

" _Why_ are you in uniform?"

" _No-_ Rey-"

"No, no, tell me, _why_ are you in uniform, Heather-"

Heather sighed. " _Why were you calling Melissa?!"_

"Tell me why you're dressed in uniform then."

The blonde knew the conversation wouldn't go anywhere because Rey was the type of person to always want her way.

She groaned. "Fine- nostalgia."

Rey stared blankly at her. "Are you sure.."

"Yes, I _am_ sure! You said not to fight crime- I'm not! Now tell my _why_ you _just_ called Melissa!"

The brunette began to walk towards the couch, Heather storming after her. She picked up the blue backpack, and threw it in Heather's arms.

"Your phone was ringing in your bag. _Melissa_ called more than 3 times so I had to answer."

"And you _couldn't_ give the phone to me?"

"I thought I'd walk in while you were changing or something.."

"You could've _knocked!_ "

Rey moved a pillow out of the way before she sat on the couch, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. Her brows were knitted. "You seem really irked about this. I mean, other than the phone thing. Is there something _wrong_ with Melissa?" The woman turned to her, who had suddenly become quiet. Heather shifted awkwardly where she was standing, putting her hands in her pockets.

"About her.." Heather began, mentally screaming to herself.

She looked down to find Rey motioning for her to continue, and Heather briefly glared at her.

.. " _She likes the same guy as me!_ "

If Heather could slap herself repeatedly, she would. _Why do I keep making up lies?_

A blank look appeared on Rey's face again, and then disappeared once Rey bursted out laughing.

"Ha! You teenagers. Boy problems- totally understand."

Heather deadpanned at her. " _Do you?_ "

"Yes, of course," Rey stated a matter-of-factly. "For example, your dad.."

" _Rey_ ," Heather groaned.

..

"So what's his name?"

"You are _not_ helping."

The brunette shrugged nonchalantly. "It wouldn't hurt for me to know a bit about this _boy_."

 _It would hurt a lot for you to know this boy- he doesn't even exist!_

Heather paused, turning to Rey again. "What did Melissa tell you about?" she asked, uncertainty in her voice. The woman shot up from her seat, looking down at the girl.

"She started asking if you were ok," she began, and saw Heather roll her eyes. "I told her you were still asleep, and that I was your mom, so Melissa asked me if you could hang out with her and your other friends in the afternoon."

Her brows furrowed. "I- and you're fine with it?" Heather asked, deep down hoping Rey would say no.

"Sure I am!" _Darn._ "Like I said, the weekend. Have fun."

Heather faked a smile. "Thanks."

Rey started to walk past her, and lightly slapped her back. "Now.. take the uniform off."

The blonde smirked, removing the mask off her face. "You know I look _good_."

The woman turned back to her, giving her a stern look. She looked Heather from head to toe, then reluctantly nodded. "You're kinda right.."

Heather chuckled as she treaded back to her room.

* * *

 _later_

Henry was splayed across the couch watching the television when his younger sister Piper slammed the front door open. He groaned, not interested in hearing what she was going to complain about next. The blonde girl stomped down and to the couch, and it took Henry a moment to realize that Piper was standing right beside him, anger radiating off of her.

" _Henry!_ "

Said boy sighed. "I'm right here. You don't have to yell."

"I had a _very_ heated subtweet argument with Jana Tetrazini, and now, people are calling _me_ out for being rude! _She_ started that stupid thing!" Piper exclaimed, and groaned right after. Henry stared blankly.

"Ok.. I don't really care," the blond told her. Piper grabbed a nearby pillow from the couch, and starting slamming the pillow against his face.

"Ah- _Piper-!_ " Henry yelped as his legs kicked, and as Piper was hitting him with the red pillow. "Piper, _stop!_ "

" _No!_ " the girl yelled at him.

"Why not?" Henry asked as his face incessantly hit by the pillow.

"Because I'm _angry_ and I _want_ to let out all of my _anger!_ " Piper retorted. Henry sighed again, looking up at the ceiling. _This is gonna take a while._

"Take all your anger out on something else, _not_ me!" he told her.

" _Fine!_ " She yelled, and threw the pillow across of the couch, and stormed up the stairs. Henry rubbed his face with his hands, wondering what else might happen that can irritate him. He rested his hands on his abdomen, staring blankly at the ceiling. Soon enough, a beeping sound was heard from his watch. Henry was initially startled, and fell off the side of the couch. He yelped as he had sudden contact with the floor.

He hastily stood up, removing the creases from his shirt. Henry whipped his head around to see if anyone was around, and not seeing anyone he flipped open the watch, putting it to eye level. A hologram of Ray appeared, wearing his casual clothing.

"Henry- you need to come here _right_ now. It's urgent."

"Ray, what's wrong?"

"Just get to the Man Cave." Ray's tone was filled with insistence.

At that, Henry bolted out the house and grabbed his bike that was leaning against the tree in the front yard. He jumped on the seat and began to pedal briskly on the sidewalk to Junk N' Stuff.

* * *

Ray whipped his head around to the elevator as he heard the sound of it arrive. The doors slid open to reveal Henry treading inside, his brows knitted. The man had his arms crossed over his chest, pondering over Henry's worried look.

"What's wrong?" he asked Henry, for which the blonde snapped up at him.

"You told me to come here, _right now_ ," the boy replied, mocking Ray's voice. Person in question glared at him briefly. He stared at him with a neutral expression, before realizing what Henry had meant.

"Right..!"

..

"You wanna go out for lunch with me?"

Henry's jaw was slack for a few moments, before Ray had to close his mouth for him.

"That's _it?_ You sounded worried- I thought something bad had happened- instead it was you inviting me out for _lunch?_ "

"Yes."

The blond face palmed. "Ray, you can't do that."

"Of course I can. Anyways, did you eat lunch yet?"

"No, I was too _worried_ because you called."

Ray turned away from him. "Don't get your underwear in a twist. Fine, sorry. I apologize."

Henry still continued to glare at the brunette man. His arms were crossed over his chest as well, tapping his foot against the grey tile. "It's fine," he mumbled, albeit reluctantly.

The man sauntered over to the tubes, motioning for the blond to follow. "Come on, kid. I'm starving."

Henry walked up the steps and stood on the base of the tube. "Couldn't you just buy food and then bring it back here to the Man Cave?"

Ray paused, whipping his head to Henry. "That's a good idea- no."

The blond sighed. _Always wants his way._

The brunette and the boy were then encased by the tube. They both looked up, and yelled in unison, " _Up the tube!_ " And away they went.

* * *

Heather opened the shop door to find Melissa, Julia, Stephanie, and a boy with brown hair. She initially stumbled by the sight of the boy, for which he smirked, and she quickly grabbed the door to prevent herself from falling backward. Heather straightened herself, straining a fake smile.

"Heather! _Hey!_ " Melissa greeted her, and walked towards Heather and wrapped her arms around her. "It's _so_ nice to see you again." _Sure you think that._

"Hey.. Mel," Heather told the raven-haired girl, releasing from her rather tight hug.

"So where are we heading to?" asked Heather, crossing her arms over her chest.

"We were thinking about getting some lunch first at that café," Stephanie suggested, pointing to the building a reasonable distance away from the shop.. "Alfie suggested the place."

The blonde turned to the boy in question, who briskly waved at her. "I'm Alfie. And you're..?"

"Heather," she spoke, an awkward tone evident. "Uh, hi."

He smiled down at her, and the girl melted. _He's adorable._

"Well, we better get there soon," Julia said, eyeing Alfie and Heather. "Must be hungry."

Alfie groaned. "Starving."

The 5 teens began to walk down the sidewalk, having various conversations as Heather watched the 4 communicate. _Who even is Alfie? Sure, he's.. cute, and stuff, but why was he here? Was he related to any of them? Are they setting me up?_ Heather had anxiety build up in her system, clutching her shoulder bag tighter. She had no clue as to what will happen, but she knew it wouldn't turn out to be good. At all, which bugged her immensely. Melissa just loved to torment Heather in every way possible, and the blonde had no idea why she wanted to. Heather didn't know her objective, but she'll do anything to find out.

They reached the café, where Alfie opened the front glass doors for the 4 girls. Heather muttered a quick thanks to him, and he winked at her, enjoying how her face turned red at the sight. He followed after the blonde, and observed the menu that was raised on the wall behind the baristas. Melissa started to ramble on to Stephanie about how she became vegan, and her new diet that Heather could at least not care about. Julia was on TwitFlash on her phone and Heather stood idly in line with Alfie.

Near the back corner, Henry was eating a panini when he looked up and saw a familiar blonde girl standing in line. He choked on his sandwich, snapping back down as the table next to him observed him choking on his food in confusion.

Ray looked away from his phone as he absentmindedly scrolled down through an album of photos to Henry, whose face was almost down on his food as he tried not to choke. "Henry?"

Henry chewed hastily, and swallowed. "Y-yes?"

"Are you ok? You just choked on your food."

The blond turned back to Heather, who stood in line talking to the boy behind her about what they were getting, and back at Ray, who raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah.. I'm.. fine."

"What were you looking at?" Ray turned around in his seat, looking in the direction Henry did. Henry nearly jumped out his seat, trying to prevent him from looking, but once Ray saw _who_ he was glancing at, he turned back to Henry with a smug grin.

"Found a cute girl at the café, ha. You should go talk to her- ah wait-" Ray turned back to Heather who was standing next to Alfie rather closely as she ordered from the barista. "-you lost your chance. That's most likely her boyfriend."

Henry glared at him. "I don't _like_ her or anything. She goes to my school." _Heather has a boyfriend? Why am I only finding out about this now?_

"Oh, really?" Ray asked, having a sip of his coffee. "Sure you don't like her. And I'm not Captain Man."

The blond boy kicked the man under the table, and he yelped, before mumbling, "I'm okay."

"Ray, I really don't like her- I mean I don't like her in _that_ way-"

Ray sipped on his coffee again, giving him a look that screamed _You're lying._ Henry glared at him again. He put his cup down, standing up from his chair. "Well, we gotta head back. Before Gooch starts worrying about where we are."

"He could just track us down."

"I don't have my tracking device on me."

"Ray, you're horrible."

"Thanks, kid. So are you."

Henry and Ray threw their trash away and began to walk towards the exit of the café. The brunette man threw one last glance at Heather, who unfortunately looked up at Ray as she was grabbing a few napkins. Ray felt a sense of familiarity in those eyes.

Heather glanced at Henry as he treaded out the door, before she could say a quick hello to him while Melissa wasn't around at the moment. She headed over to the table that the girls reserved, and Melissa motioned for her to sit next to Alfie. The boy pulled her chair back for her, and the blonde gave him a small smile.

As they began to eat, Melissa spoke up to the group. "So, I wanna play a little game. It's called TBH."

Alfie raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"No reason," Melissa replied, smiling at the others, especially at Heather, who gave her a suspicious look.

"The objective of the game is that one person would give a name to someone else, and that person that has the name has to say what they think about them. No lying; you have to be _completely_ honest."

The other 4 comprehended that. "Let's start then. I'll go first. Someone give me a name."

"Anthony," Julia told her. Melissa rolled her eyes.

"My boyfriend? Really?" she asked, groaning. "Fine. He's an absolutely amazing person. His eyes are the color of the ocean- they're pretty."

"Stephanie, I'm going to give you.. Max."

"Are we just asking each other what we think about our boyfriends?"

Heather rolled her eyes at how stupid the "game" was. She took a bite of her sandwich as she heard Stephanie ramble about the boy, which was the same one she was talking to yesterday as Heather saw. The blonde blocked out most of their conversations as the game continued, until Melissa snapped her fingers in front of Heather's face to get her attention. She blinked, coming back to reality.

"It's my turn?" she asked, and Melissa nodded. "You'll describe.. Henry Hart."

She blinked. "Why?"

The raven-haired girl sighed. "Why _not?_ "

Not wanting to argue with her, or start anything, Heather gave in. "Fine. Uh.. he seems to get sick a lot. But he's pretty cool."

Melissa nodded. "Now, Charlotte Bolton."

Heather's brows furrowed. "I thought it was only one person."

"We changed the rules." The girl was not convinced.

"Well.. she's a smart girl. Pretty funny, too," she spoke after momentarily pausing.

Julia and Stephanie shared glances, until one of the twins turned to Heather. "Describe Jasper Dunlop."

 _Something's going on._

"You know.." Heather trailed off. "Maybe I shouldn't.."

Melissa kicked her in the shin under the table, and Heather whipped her head to her, for which the raven-haired girl gave her a brief smile. "Alright, then."

Alfie rolled his eyes at their antics, and took his phone out of his pocket, looking down at the device.

"I.. Jasper is.. uh.."

" _Do you like him?_ " Julia blurted, and Stephanie slapped her in the arm. Heather's eyes widened, cheeks reddening.

"Don't lie, Heather," Melissa told her as she sipped her cup.

Heather sighed. "I.. I _don't_ like Jasper. I never had." She was seemingly oblivious to Melissa's sneer at Stephanie. "He- he keeps advancing to me, asking if he wants to hang out and stuff, but I'm always reluctant. I really don't want to, but I have no other choice. Jasper's really weird and obnoxious, and I wouldn't see myself dating him. Ever."

At the table, the others stared blankly at Heather, who shrunk back in her seat. _Was that harsh?_

 _.._

 _Knowing Melissa, she'd probably wouldn't mind._

 _.._

"Ok then," Alfie spoke up, putting his phone away after texting someone. "My turn."

"Oh, _Melissa_ ," Heather told him, turning to said person, who strained a smile.

Alfie had a sheepish look on his face. "Melissa's bossy."

Her nostrils flared. " _What?!_ "

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Just saying. Tone it down."

She huffed, crossing her arms across her chest. "I'm not," she mumbled. _Yes, you are Mel._

Heather sighed, drinking a bit from her cup. _When will this end?_

* * *

She opened the door to the second floor where she saw Rey splayed across the couch, holding a whole chocolate cake. In her other hand, she had a fork and was happily eating the cake in small bites. Heather sauntered over to the area of the room, and the brunette turned her head slowly, her eyes filled with guilt. Heather gestured to the cake in her hand.

"W- _why._ "

Rey looked down at the cake. "There's nothing wrong with a grown woman eating cake," she defended, going back to eating it.

"Yes, I know that," Heather replied, placing her brown shoulder bag on the coffee table. "But the whole thing. _Really?_ "

Heather hated to admit it, but she missed the little dumb things Rey would do in the Woman Cave. It was entertaining.

"I had no other choice."

"I'm sure there are _other_ choices instead of eating a whole cake in one sitting," Heather told her, and grabbed the cake from her hand. Rey jumped up from her seat on the couch, storming after Heather as she put it back in the refrigerator.

"How was your outing with _Melissa_?"

The blonde whipped her head around, sighing. "Decent. She brought some random guy with her."

Rey had a smug grin on her face. "Did you think he was cute?"

Her eyes widened. "N-no!" she stammered. The brunette chuckled.

"Ha, you _did_." She put her hands on her hips. "What's his name?"

.. "Alfie."

"What did he look like?" Rey asked instantly, and Heather briefly glared at her.

"He had.. brown hair that kinda stuck up, and he had this cute smirk.."

At that, Rey immediately wrapped her arms around Heather's waist, and lifted her up. The blonde yelped at the sudden contact, but she began to laugh. "What was that for?"

"My little Heather. Now how many boys have you _already_ been with?"

Heather lightly slapped her. "Not that many."

Rey looked up at her, eyebrow raising. "I don't think so. There's Chris Hartman, Billy, and remember Viktor? _Girl Danger's_ boyfriend?"

She glared daggers at Rey. "Fine."

Rey put her down. "You're such a romantic. Only 14 years old."

The blonde groaned. "You're more of a romantic than _I_ am."

"You think so? I'm flattered."

"Except, you go a bit too far."

The brunette whipped her head at her. "How?"

Heather blinked idly. "My dad."

Rey had a brief look of ponder. "Right.. you know I kinda miss seeing him.."

" _Rey."_

Person in question gave a sheepish look. "Sorry."

Heather put her hands on her hips. "And my Spanish teacher. And that news reporter. Forgot to text him though."

The woman glared. "It was an _accident!_ "

" _Sure_."

" _Ah!_ " Rey saw Heather bolt away, and she ran after the blonde girl, chasing her as she laughed aloud. The brunette couldn't stop herself from laughing either as she chased her around the second floor.

"You won't catch me, Rey Manchester!"

"We'll see about that!" she exclaims, as she followed the girl around. "Heather Har- Charleston!"

Heather whips her head back to Rey. "Did you almost call me Heather _Hart?_ "

.. "I might have."

"Darnit, Rey. Don't do it when we're in public."

" _I know that!_ "

"Apologize!" Heather retorted, jumping on the couch.

"No!" she yelled back, trying to grab her as she jumped off. Heather thrust back as Rey attempted to reach an arm back to her.

Heather's mind was now occupied with what Rey had just done only seconds ago. Using _that_ last name. She began to contemplate- should she tell Rey what had happened earlier? About Henry's name? _Would Rey brush it off- say it must be some kind of coincidence? Or would she make it an immense deal and ask me to spy on him and make sure he doesn't do anything suspicious or worth mentioning about?_ The blonde huffed. This town was strange, and it was something for Heather to ponder of.

Rey felt the pang of guilt hit her as she made her mistake. She believed that Heather might start to be upset at the sound of her surname, but she knew that Heather might've already stopped making a big deal about it, so she decided not to question. The brunette blocked away such thoughts as she continued to chase Heather around the living area.

"Still can't catch me!" Heather exclaimed.

As soon as Heather says that, Rey snatches at the fabric of her shirt, and pulled back. Heather stumbled as she fell in Rey's arms. The blonde looked up to find Rey's smirk of victory, and she furrowed her brows.

"Caught you."

"I'm impressed."

"You think I _wasn't_ going to catch you?"

She shrugged. " _Maybe.."_

The brunette chuckled. "You obviously thought wrong."

Heather sighed in defeat.

* * *

"What parts did you get?"

.. "All the ones you wanted me to get."

"Even where _she_ talked about-"

"Yes. Now can you stop calling me? I'm at the Swellview Market getting groceries."

..

"Can I use that in a few days?"

"Sure, I don't mind. Just don't look through anything else other than that file."

..

"Do you want anything in return? _This_ is a gift."

"No. Well, other than to stop you from being bossy."

She huffed. "I am _not_ that bossy!"

"Be quiet. Stop being in denial."

..

"Why did you use me in the first place?"

"My boyfriend's out of town. Had to use you."

He groaned. "Surely you had other choices _other_ than me."

"No, I didn't."

..

"You're still bossy."

"So?"

"Will anything or anyone stop you?"

The raven-haired girl sneered. "Nothing will get in my way. I _always_ know what I'm doing."

* * *

 **Chapter Four! I'm currently trying to add more into my original storyline- hopefully to fix holes and also not to rush things too quickly. Reviews and constructive criticism welcome!**


	5. Revelations

**Opposites But Not**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own the show, characters, excluding Rey and Heather. I only own the plot!

I _almost_ procrastinated writing this. _Almost._ I'm sorry you all had to wait 3 days for this chapter that doesn't necessarily meet with my expectations.

* * *

Henry paced hastily around his room, his arms crossed over his chest. He had a look of contemplation on his face, brows knitted. Henry had only, a few moments ago, texted Charlotte and Jasper asking if they'd like to come over. It was Sunday, so he guaranteed that they'd most likely come over. Well, he hoped.

His phone vibrated, and the blond grabbed it out of his pocket. Charlotte had replied first.

 _Hey Hen! i'm able to go to ur house today. see you! - char_

As he began to type a response, Jasper replied shortly as well.

 _Yeah I can come over. Ill see u in a few, k?_

The boy responded to both texts, and placed his phone back in his pocket. He didn't want to be stuck with Piper's tendency to be short-tempered, so his saviors were to be Jasper and Charlotte.

Soon enough, a fist incessantly slammed on the door. Henry rolled his eyes, hesitantly opening the door to reveal his younger sister.

"I need to use your phone charger," she spoke. The blond stood stiffly- he knew if he said no she would get into a fit of rage. He still did it anyways.

"No, you have your own phone charger."

Her nostrils flared. "The cord broke- I _can't_ find Mom or Dad's phone chargers- so _let_ me use yours!"

Henry rolled his eyes. "I'm using it!"

Piper eyed the phone in his pocket. "No you're not! Your phone is in your pocket!"

"Well, I'm _gonna_ use it."

"Which _means_ you're not using it now!" The blonde exclaimed, barging in his room. She stormed over to his desk where she grabbed the phone charger. Henry stomped over, snatching Piper's arm.

"If _you_ don't let me use your phone charger, I'm going to tell Mom." she tells him.

"She would tell you the same-"

 _"Mom!"_

The blond boy sighed. Piper would be the result of his utmost death.

A few moments later, Siren Hart sauntered into Henry's room with a laundry basket in arm. She put her hands on her hips, observing the scene between Piper and Henry.

"What is going on?" she asked, brows furrowed.

" _Henry_ won't let me use his phone charger," the blonde girl told her mother. Siren whipped her head to Henry, who gave a sheepish look in reply.

"Henry," she scolded. Henry had an aghast expression, snapping his head down at Piper. "Piper just took my charger without asking me."

The boy was used to this by now. Piper blaming him for actions he didn't even intend doing, and then his mother or father scolding him for said actions. Quite irritating.

"Were you using it?" Siren asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"He _wasn't_ ," Piper spoke up for Henry.

"Then let her use it," the woman decided. "You weren't even using the charger."

The blonde girl whipped her head to Henry, who had a smug grin of victory plastered on her face. Henry shrugged nonchalantly as she and their mother walked out of his room, Siren closing the door as she left, leaving the blond boy alone in his room again. He checked his phone again to see if either Charlotte or Jasper texted in him saying they were here, but to no avail. He sighed, and left his room. Descending down the stairs to the first floor, he conveniently heard the doorbell ring. Henry treaded over to the door and opened it, where he found Jasper standing there.

"Hey, Jasper," Henry greeted him, gesturing for him to enter.

"Hi, Henry," the curly-haired boy replied, entering the house. He looked around, and turned back to Henry. "Is Charlotte here yet?"

The blond shook his head. "Nope."

"Wait, so why did you invite us over?" Jasper asked, perplexed.

"No reason.." Henry trailed off. "I'm just.. bored."

Jasper gave him a strange look, and headed over to the couch, where he promptly sat down. Henry turned to him, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Wait- how did you know that I also invited Charlotte?"

"She asked me if I was coming over too," Jasper replied, his fingers entwined. Henry nodded in understanding. As they awkwardly held their stances in the living room, the doorbell rang, and Henry walked over to the door where he saw Charlotte standing in the porch through the small square windows implanted in the front door. He opened it, and the curly-haired girl flashed a grin at him.

"Hey, Hen!" Charlotte told him, walking inside the house.

"Charlotte, hi!" Henry replied, and Jasper repeated what he spoke to her. She placed her bag on the couch next to Jasper and slowly turned her head to Henry.

"So.. what do wanna do?" she asked him, and enter the momentarily awkward pause in the living room.

..

Henry smirked. "I think I have an idea.."

* * *

"You _had_ to invite me too?" Ray asked as he walked in the house with Henry. Charlotte's eyes widened as she saw the brunette man enter.

He noticed that the coffee table was now moved near the stairs and Charlotte and Jasper were sitting Indian style as if to form a circle where the piece of furniture was previously placed. Ray furrowed his brows as Henry led him to the area.

"Yes, it was _necessary_ ," Henry explained, an amused glint in his eye, and Ray rolled his eyes.

"What are we even doing?" Charlotte asked, fingers entwined.

..

"This is the stupidest game of Truth or Dare I have ever played."

"We haven't even started."

Henry, Charlotte, Jasper, and a reluctant Ray all sat in a small circle in the living room. They ended up playing Truth or Dare, much to the hatred of Charlotte. When it was Henry's turn, Ray made sure he thought of the most stupid dares or horrifying truths to compensate for forcing him here. Jasper was first, since he was the only one who was eager enough.

"Jasper.. truth or dare?" Henry asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jasper had a look of ponder momentarily. "Uh.. dare."

"I dare you to.. run around the first floor making donkey noises."

Charlotte and Ray shared glances of confusion as the curly-haired boy jumped up and began to hasten through the living to the kitchen, making quite accurate donkey noises. Henry watched in amusement as Piper started walking down the stairs, and observing the whole scene. Jasper, while running, waved to Piper who had a more intense look of confusion. She looked over to Henry, who mouthed to her, _Truth or Dare_. Her expression of confusion still never went away.

" _Why_ is Jasper running around our house sounding like an idiot?" Piper exclaimed, stomping over to Henry and the group.

"Piper, I just told you. Truth or Dare," Henry replied.

"Well, the way _you're_ playing it is stupid."

"That's how _everyone_ plays it."

The blonde girl huffed, and stomped away as Jasper bolted back to where he was sitting.

"My turn!" Jasper called out. "Charlotte, truth or dare?"

She rolled her eyes. "Truth. I am _not_ letting you make me do something stupid."

"Do you really have mouth sores?"

Charlotte's face crinkled in disgust, and Henry and Ray shared a look of mixed disgust and uncertainty. "But you had to _ask_ me something stupid."

"No, I do not," Charlotte clarified. "Henry made that up.. when I _also_ found out that he killed my goldfish."

Henry had a look of shock plastered on his face, his eyes pleading _Sorry!_ as Ray's brows knitted. Jasper folded his arms over his chest, giving Henry mock disappointment.

"Well. now it's _Henry's_ turn," Ray spoke up, straining a smile at the blond. Henry whipped his head to find Ray's eyes that screamed _I'll make sure you die a most painful death in the nicest way possible_ and Henry scooted away from the brunette.

"You sound like you're gonna do something to him.." Jasper said, and Ray brushed it off, chuckling rather condescendingly.

" _Truth,_ " Henry abruptly yelled out, and Ray sneered.

"Do you have a crush on the girl we saw at the café yesterday?"

At that, Henry blanched and both Charlotte and Jasper were thinking the same thing. _What?!_

"Well, you _did_ say that she went to your school," Ray reasoned.

"Wait, who _is_ she?" Charlotte asked Henry, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh- n-no one!" the blond boy yelped, scooting away from the group. _What was Ray playing at?_

"I do not," he clarified, brows furrowing and cheeks reddening, and at that Ray raised an eyebrow as well. "Ray, I really don't!"

..

"It's Ray's turn now," Henry said, looking over at Ray who rolled his eyes.

"Dare," he told the boy. He wasn't afraid of what they'd have to offer- he was Captain Man! He's not supposed to be bothered by anything. Or so he thought.

"Hug Jasper."

Ray sat there, frozen in his spot. _The bucket loving sweaty boy?! No!_ He had a sheepish look plastered on his face, fingers entwined as he observed the 3 pairs of eyes that were placed upon him. Henry raised a brow at him, motioning him to hug the curly-haired boy who sat across from him. Ray attempted to hide all evidence of hesitancy, but it practically radiated off of him, as Charlotte noted. "Fine," Ray spoke up, groaning as he reached out for the boy. Jasper wrapped his arms around the brunette man without hesitation, and the man inwardly cringed.

"Good job, Ray," Henry complimented sarcastically, and Ray glared at him as he continued wrapping his arm around Jasper.

The brunette eventually let go _Thank God_ and now he sat stiffly in his spot as the curly-haired boy was eager to start his turn again.

"So, Jasper, truth or dare?" Charlotte asked, hands in her lap.

"I'll go with truth this time," he replied, a smug grin on his face.

 _Perfect._

"Do you like Heather?"

..

Henry and Charlotte observed how quiet Jasper had become, he would avoid the blond and curly-haired girl's eyes that screamed _Tell us_. Ray slowly gazed at Henry, who had a perplexed look plastered on his face, and the blond boy knew what his eyes were asking. The blond didn't know how he'd react to hear that Heather was the same girl who he saw at the café.

Jasper drummed his fingers on his knees, cheeks reddening. "So.. Henry, did your mom make food today?"

The curly-haired girl's eyes dilated and shared an utmost look of shock with Henry. "You _do!_ "

Ray's brows were furrowed. "Who is _Heather?_ " His question is seemingly ignored as Henry and Charlotte continued asking Jasper questions regarding this.

"How long?" Charlotte asked him rather eagerly, leaning in.

"H-how long has s-she been here?" Jasper stammered, cheeks reddening even further, and Henry's jaw went slack.

"That's weeks, Jasper!" Henry exclaimed, and the brunette man was irked by how he was tuned out by the teens.

"I-I know.." he trailed off, turning away.

"Can _someone_ tell me who Heather is?!" Ray asked, irritated. Charlotte whipped her head at him, and shushed.

Jasper sat stiffly where he was, cheeks beet red and radiating awkward. He _really_ didn't want to mention this to Charlotte or Henry, but he _had_ to reveal it at some point.

" _Heather_ is a girl at our school, and apparently _Jasper_ has a crush on her," Henry finally explained to Ray, and he nodded in understanding.

At least a dozen questions ran through Charlotte's mind, from _Why do you like her?_ to _Do you think.. she likes you.. back..?_ But the curly-haired girl was reluctant to ask _that_ one, since she's seen Heather's face and actions.. Charlotte believed she..

Charlotte believed she shouldn't be negative about this. She'd feel guilty- Jasper seems to _really_ like her.

"Why do you like this _Heather_ , then, Jasper?" Ray asked, crossing his arms over his chest. This boy confused him.

"I- I'm not sure exactly _why_.." Jasper began, eyes avoiding Ray's which had a small glint of amusement. "I mean, Heather's _really_ pretty, and she's also really nice to me.."

Henry and Charlotte both had equally stupid grins on their faces as Ray rolled his eyes. "Teens."

"Oh, like _you_ haven't had a crush on a girl when you were 14," Charlotte accused, and Ray's brows shot up. He was about to defend himself in front of them but couldn't, as his statement indirectly stated his alter ego.

"Do you really like her that much, Jasper?" Henry asked him, and he nodded.

"Yeah.. I really do like her."

The blond boy smirked. "Go for it. Ask her out."

..

Ray was drinking bottled water when he heard Henry tell Jasper that, and spit water out. It stained the carpet, luckily for Charlotte and Jasper they didn't get water on them.

"You want.. _him.._ to ask a girl out?!" Ray hissed at Henry, and he glared in reply.

"You know," Jasper announced, a rush of confidence flowing through him. "Maybe I _should_ ask Heather out. On a date."

Charlotte sat in her spot, reluctant to answer- to maybe say otherwise. _Henry sometimes gives stupid ideas._

"That's more like it," Henry replied, a proud smile on his face. But of course, he wanted to take back what he said. When he saw Heather with.. that guy. _But maybe it's just Ray jumping to conclusions. Maybe that.. wasn't her "boyfriend"._

"Uh, I don't know.. you guys should probably think this through.." Charlotte trailed off.

"She's right," Ray agreed. "Do you think _Heather_ would say yes?"

Jasper gave a sheepish look, and Henry defended him.

"I think she _will_. I mean, they've been hanging out for some time while Charlotte and I are.. gone."

The curly-haired boy's brows knitted. _But Melissa always takes her away from me._

"So.. what do you say, Jasp?" Henry asked, lightly slapping Jasper on the back. "You gonna ask her?"

..

"Yeah. I'm gonna ask her tomorrow."

Henry and Jasper both grinned, as Charlotte and Ray shared a glance of uncertainty. _Something is gonna happen, and I know I'll be there to say I told you so._

 _.._

 _These teenagers are ridiculous._

* * *

Rey walked through the automatic sliding glass doors into the Swellview Market. The brunette took a deep breath. _Just like home._ She grabbed a blue basket by the handles and began to saunter around the aisles. Putting a lock of hair behind her ear, she grabbed two different brands of coffee, observing both. Making up her mind, she put one back and the other in the basket. Walking in the middle of the store, she saw a decent-sized poster of Captain Man flaunting his muscles.. a cleaning product and his picture flashed a grin, and annoyed Rey. _Who does he think he is?_

 _Wait, I did that._

As she reached the cereal aisle, she took out her phone from her pocket and texted Heather.

 _Frosted corn flakes or Honey oats?_

A reply almost instantly appeared.

 _honey oats!_

The brunette woman smirked. Her enthusiasm was even present in text.

Grabbing the medium-sized box of Honey Oats, she walked out of the aisle and to the frozen section. Looking for steak, she walked to the right side of the section, and looked up hoping to find the correct cut. As Rey did, she saw a burgundy jacket swish as the person owning it turned. She brushed it off. _Probably someone that just entered the aisle._

But it kept happening as she put the frozen food in the basket. As if, the person was watching her, and when she noticed they turned away. Rey's brows furrowed, slowly walking to the aisle. When she arrived, she peeked her head in the entrance, but no one was in the aisle. Eerily quiet, she turned away back to the frozen section. The person stood behind the display again, and the brunette's head shot up, sensing a pair of eyes watching her again. She whipped her head to the aisle, but then again no one appeared. It was getting on her nerves. She stomped on over to the aisle, and once she saw the lack of people there, Rey became irritated. Her clutch on the basket tightened, and she turned away again. Which was a bad idea.

The supposed man with the burgundy jacket was in close proximity with her. His hood was on, so Rey couldn't identify who he was. But he tilted his head up a bit, and Rey could faintly observe the eyes, which hit her-

When the Polymath stared directly at Rey and Heather, when they were Captain Woman and Girl Danger. Hood on, cloak wrapped around his condescending self. The eyes. _The eyes_.

 _They were the same. Bloodshot- as she could tell even from that distance. Behind that mask. But he wasn't wearing one now. Or so she thought._

 _He was here! Here!_ Rey could easily defeat him, torment him, let her and her sidekick go home-

"Uh, excuse me," his voice spoke to Rey who snapped out of her thoughts. "Sorry, I walked in your direction. My mistake."

Rey stared at him in utmost belief. "I- uh.."

 _Was it.. him?_

 _Or am I just going mental?_

"It's fine," she spoke absentmindedly, and walked out of his way. He continued on with his steps.

Rey whipped her head to the figure walking away. _He sounded so.. normal._ The brunette mentally slapped herself. _The Polymath was an intelligent, manipulating psychopath. He manipulates anyone to think he's good. To somehow improve his character. And our city succumbed to his fake behavior._

The brunette hesitantly finished with her grocery shopping, paying and nearly fainting after seeing a woman who eerily looked like some female version of Heather's dad walk in the store. _I hate it here._

* * *

Ray was back at the Man Cave, irked, He had remembered about the other day (even though he promised he wouldn't think of it again- hurts his ego) when the convicts in the abandoned building _weren't_ stopped by him and Henry. He nearly jumped on the swivel seat at the control panel, hastily typing. The brunette looked for files, sites, _anything_ that could reveal who it was. _Supers within the radius of: Swellview_ was what appeared on the screens. Within every distance, none found. Other than him, of course, but it didn't count him because he already knew that. Ray thought the person might've been from a different city, so he began to search for nearby towns and cities. Yet, none appeared. Well, none that he cared about in particular.

He complained to Gooch, and the man working at the top floor proposed to aid his search. Ray thanked him dearly, and went back to sulking, but he wouldn't admit that to anyone.

As he pouted in his seat, a signal was heard. Ray nearly slammed his hand down on the button to show the screen. It was Gooch.

"What?" the brunette asked, trying to hide his disappointment.

"One of the convicts recorded the other developing their plans in the factory," the man explained, and Ray rolled his eyes.

"So?"

"Well," he continued. "In the footage, the person you are seeking is present."

Ray nearly jumped out of his seat. "Show me."

The footage began to play on his screen. In the middle of the screen were the convicts sitting at a table, dressed rather similarly. One person, who must've been holding the camera, is explaining the plan.

"We find where Captain Man lives, and trash the place. If he's there, torment and shoot him."

He snorted. _Failed._

The video continued, and Ray began to become impatient. "Gooch, I don't see them. It's just the convicts."

Gooch rolled his eyes, and he asked Ray to zoom in the back corner. Once he saw it, Ray's eyes dilated. He could see someone with a blue mask watching, peeking through the wall. The brunette noticed that they were holding the wall tightly with the gloved hand, and Ray saw a hint of reasonably long, wavy brown hair from the angle. It hit him.

"It's a _woman?!_ " he shouted, jumping out of his seat. Gooch nodded.

"I was waiting for you to realize."

The now _woman_ , as Ray noted, ran quickly to the other side of the wall, kneeling behind a stack of crates. It was a blur so he couldn't observe what she was wearing, or the color. Her masked face peeked through the apex of the stack. The brunette couldn't identify who it was, other than that he thought she was gorgeous. He wondered- why didn't she want credit for it? Why did she run away, to never be identified by anyone here? It perplexed Ray.

"What's her name?" he asked.

"I am yet to confirm that," Gooch replied. "At this time, she has no name."

Ray nodded. "Thanks, anyways."

"No problem." And he signed out, leaving Ray sitting in his chair feeling slightly more hopeful.

 _Who even was she? Did he already know her?_

It annoyed the brunette rather immensely. He continued sitting in the swivel chair, shoulders drooped. He'd do almost anything, even if it risked some amount, just to find out who it was.

* * *

 **[As of 7/30/16, very minor changes made at the end] Chapter Five. It's quite shorter than the other chapters (again sorry you had to wait for this, probably couldn't even consider it as a chapter). I'm trying to get ready for an orientation, juggling between finishing the storyline for this and summer homework! School starts for me in a few weeks, updates may or may not be delayed. For the time being, asking you all to be patient! Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome.**


	6. Deception

**Opposites But Not**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own the show, characters, excluding Rey and Heather. I only own the plot!

Sorry for the delay, oh my. This chapter's longer to compensate for the last one.

* * *

"I'm using it today."

"Really? About time."

..

"Isn't it? I can't wait to see his face."

"You're really demented, aren't you?"

"It's a habit, honey."

..

"Do _not_ call me honey."

..

"I can call you _whatever_ I want, Alfred."

"Don't call me that either."

..

"Do I have to repeat myself?"

"No, please don't. I don't want to hear your annoying bossy voice."

..

"I swear I will choke you the next time I see you."

"Aw.. Mel.. this isn't the time. Don't you have to be a manipulative jerk at school first?"

* * *

Before Jasper was about to leave his house, he turned his head to the wall mirror in his living room. He smoothed out any creases on his shirt, and smirked. The confidence that started from yesterday increased, and the curly-haired boy crossed his arms over his chest.

 _I will ask out Heather today. I will ask her out._

He began to think of a few.. _possible_ scenarios during school, which occurred when he would ask her.

" _Jasper, of course I will! You're the most handsome, sweetest boy I've ever met!" Heather exclaimed, eagerly wrapping her arms around him._

 _.._

" _Doesn't matter where we go on a date," Heather explained. "I love you and I could care less."_

 _.._

" _Yes! Then right after school, we can get married!" Heather yelped. "I love you so much, Jasper Dunlop!"_

 _.._

Jasper got snapped out of his scenarios and back into reality as he heard a voice call his name out, and a hand snapping their fingers in his face. At this point, he was already at school, and in his stance with a rather dazed face. He was with Henry and Charlotte near the locker-clad walls, his arms slack on each side of his body, shoulders drooped.

"Jasper!" Charlotte called out to him, attempting to get his attention, snapping her fingers in his face once again. The curly-haired boy looks down at the girl. "Yeah?"

"Are you ok?" Henry asked, closing his locker. "You just.. dazed off for a minute."

He brushed it off, nodding. "I'm fine."

Charlotte put her hands on her hips. "Do you _really_ want to go through with this?"

The curly-haired boy straightened his shoulders. "Yes. Definitely."

"Alright, Jasp.." Henry encouraged. At the very rear of his mind, the thought of _Heather has a boyfriend_ was still present. The blond tried numerous attempts to get it out his head, to stop thinking about it. _Again, Ray jumping to conclusions. He doesn't like Jasper that much.. darnit Ray, why'd you have to tell me that?_

Charlotte fidgeted in her stance, mouth pursed as she crossed her arms over her chest. She looked around the area, hopefully to see a familiar head of blonde hair. A numerous amount of students walked by, in groups or individually. Charlotte craned her head as she tried to find Heather but to no avail.

"What are you doing?" Henry asked her.

She rolled her eyes. "Looking for Heather."

The blond raised an eyebrow. "But usually, she walks around here and finds us."

" _Usually._ But I can't see her at all!"

Henry's eyes widened, and he whipped his head around the area of the building, and back to Charlotte.

"Is she even here today?" Henry hissed at her, and she shrugged, Jasper oblivious to their conversation.

"That's what I'm thinking!" Charlotte murmured. "Help me look for her."

He nodded, and turned his head in Jasper's direction. Charlotte faced the opposite direction, seeing all the classmates she _didn't_ want to see but not seeing the one person she actually wanted to see. The curly-haired boy turned to Henry and Charlotte, who were craning their heads incessantly.

"What are you guys trying to find?"

"The girl you're going to ask on a date!" Henry replied, on the tip of his toes.

"I'm sure she'll be here," Jasper told them, shrugging nonchalantly.

Henry and Charlotte shared glances, themselves being uneasy. The two teens stopped, standing where they were with sheepish looks plastered on their face. Jasper paused, turning away from the blond and the curly-haired girl.

..

 _I just hope she's here._

* * *

Melissa was standing in the quad with the blonde twins Stephanie and Julia. Her arms crossed, brows knitted, as her arms were crossed over her chest. Julia and Stephanie were both craning their heads, looking for a familiar blonde, though with no luck. The raven-haired girl stomped her foot.

"I don't see her."

"Is she even here?" Julia asked, rolling her eyes. "Waste of time."

A thought suddenly appeared through Melissa's mind. _If she's not here.. she wouldn't have to find out yet!_ She sneered at the idea.

"I just thought of something," Melissa spoke. "If Heather's not here, she doesn't have to find out about the plan."

Stephanie and Julia both turned to each other, looks of contemplation on their faces, which turned to sneers as well. "Perfect," Stephanie said.

Melissa shoved her hand down in her backpack, and eventually she grabbed a clipboard with a paper attached to it. The paper had read _Would You Be Committed?_ and two columns were drawn, one side read _I would be!_ and the other side read _I wouldn't be.. ._ Stephanie took the clipboard out of her hand to assist her as she zipped her backpack closed again.

"We'll start asking people around the quad, so it doesn't seem suspicious if we only asked Chicken Hen, Charlotte's Web, and Jasper," the raven-haired girl told the twins as she started to walk.

"You didn't give Dunlop a name," Julia noted.

"His name is weird enough; he doesn't need one," Melissa replied, and they all snickered.

"We should probably get started," Stephanie spoke, motioning to the group of friends near them. The other two nodded, and the three girls began to walk towards the reasonably sized group.

"Hey, all," Melissa told them with a tone of fake happiness. "I'm Melissa, but I'm sure you already knew that.."

Some of the group nodded, others stared blankly at her. The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes. "Anyways, Stephanie, Julia, and I made a little survey that we're trying to ask everyone is Swellview Junior High."

She gestured to Stephanie, who began to continue for her. "Out of _pure_ curiosity, we'd like to find out.."

"If any of you are committed!" Julia finished, and flashed a smile with her brace-clad teeth. Melissa glared at her horribly fake enthusiasm.

"What _Julia_ means," the raven-haired girl continued. "We're trying to see if you'd be committed in a relationship."

"It hurts people when they find out their loved one are cheating on them," Stephanie elaborated.

"So to identify who will be and who will _not_ be, the survey is right here."

Melissa brought out the clipboard, and passed it to the person nearest to her. They reluctantly grabbed it, and put a tally mark on one column. Passing it to the next person, he had a look of ponder on his face before marking the other column. Stephanie was talking to one girl, who the raven-haired girl knew it to be Bianca. Bianca's brows were furrowed and she was asking them about their objective.

"We just mentioned it," the blonde told her. "It's a survey out of curiosity."

"Are you sure?" Bianca asked, an unsure tone in her voice. "I don't think it's out of curiosity.."

"Shut up, it is," Julia retorted, and the brunette girl was alarmed by the twin's tone. Stephanie slammed her foot down on Julia's, and she glared daggers at her sister.

"Alright then, jeez.." Bianca trailed off, turning away from Stephanie and Julia.

Eventually, the group had passed around the clipboard, all marking their responses. Melissa smirked, grabbing the clipboard back in her possession. She whipped her head around, hoping to find more people to ask. Spotting two boys, she started to saunter over to them as Stephanie and Julia were following right after her. As they arrived, the raven-haired girl batted her eyelashes.

"Hi guys," Melissa began, flashing a smile. One of the boys smirked at her.

"Melissa.." the raven-haired boy spoke, amusement in his tone. "Those pants look like something from the 90's. Mom jeans."

She was taken aback by his statement about her jeans, brows knitting. "These jeans are perfectly fine on me."

"Yeah, sure." He and the other boy snickered, and her nostrils flared.

" _Anyway_ ," Melissa told them, basically pleading to change the subject. "Steph, Jules and I have a survey."

"We know," both boys said in unison. Melissa was about to speak up when one of them continued, "We saw you give that clipboard to that group. What else would it be?"

The raven-haired girl huffed. "Yes. You two are _right._ "

One of the boys took the clipboard from her hands. "Oh, a survey about commitment. Are you trying to prove something to your _boyfriend?_ "

Her eyes dilated, internally screaming. " _N-no!_ "

He chuckled. "Mel, lying is bad."

"Davide, shut your mouth!" Julia told him. The other boy was about to interfere, but Julia beat him to it as well. "You too, Oreste!"

"People like you make us wonder why we moved here," Oreste retorted, fists curled.

"Where did you two even come from?" Melissa asked, arms crossed over her chest.

Davide gave her a perplexed look. "We've already told you. Oreste and I are from Italy."

Stephanie's groomed brows knitted. "You guys speak in American accents."

Oreste stared at her in disbelief. "What, you think we have aggressively Italian accents? You offensive girl." The blonde twin glared at him.

Melissa looked down at the clipboard, an addition of two tally marks on committed. "Wow, two more! Great."

The boys rolled their eyes. "When your boyfriend comes back, lets ask what he thinks about this, and see if he wants to participate in this survey too," Davide spoke.

"I reckon he'll put not committed. Mel, you poor thing," Oreste continued, and they both had equal smirks of amusement plastered on their faces. Melissa had an absolutely infuriated look plastered on her face, and stomped away.

* * *

After first few class periods passed, Henry, Charlotte, and reluctantly Jasper concluded that Heather was absent today. The curly-haired boy was rather down, and the blond and the curly-haired girl attempted to console him during lunch. They'd try to talk about anything _other_ than Heather, to hopefully make Jasper stop being upset.

"Jasper.. how are your buckets?" Henry asked, raising an eyebrow. Charlotte mentally face palmed at the subject he supposedly decided first.

"They're alright, I guess.." Jasper trailed off, an upset tone in his voice.

Henry turned to Charlotte, urging her to speak to him. She rolled her eyes.

"You could ask her when she comes back."

The curly-haired boy looked up at Charlotte. " _If_ she comes back."

At that, Henry whipped his head at Jasper. "Dude, what are you talking about? It's not like she _died_. She probably got sick today."

"What if she did die?"

Charlotte glared at Henry next to her, who in return gave a sheepish look.

"I don't think Heather died.." Charlotte spoke, brows knitted. "Henry's right. I think she just got sick today."

"I'm not sure.." Jasper replied quietly, turning away from the glances of Henry and Charlotte.

Soon enough, a familiar group of girls treaded over to Henry, Charlotte, and Jasper's table. The raven-haired girl in the front held a clipboard in her hands, while the blonde twins behind her both had their arms crossed over their chests, amused glints in their eyes. Melissa looked over them with a faint grimace, before straining a smile. She stood near the edge of the table.

"Hey guys.." Melissa trailed off, her strained smile painfully evident to Charlotte.

"What's with the clipboard?" Henry asked, brows furrowed.

"And why are you even here?" Jasper asked Melissa, looking up at her. She looked down at him, glaring, but then snapped back up to answer Henry's question.

"Julia, Stephanie, and I have a survey," Melissa told the three. "It's out of _pure_ curiosity, as we've told the numerous amount of people here at Swellview Junior High."

"What's the survey about?" Charlotte asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Commitment. In relationships."

Henry paled ever so slightly, and both Charlotte and Jasper glanced at the clipboard in her hands.

"Why are you curious about _that?_ " the curly-haired boy asked, fingers entwined.

Melissa rolled her eyes, before freezing in her stance. She turned to Stephanie and Julia, and mouthed a few sentences to them before nodding and turning back.

"But, ah.. we'd like you three to come with us.." the raven-haired girl told them.

" _Why?_ " Charlotte asked, standing up from her chair.

The raven-haired girl huffed, faking an upset look. "We have to show you something. We can't do it here."

Charlotte, Henry, and Jasper shared glances of hesitancy before slowly standing up from their chairs and following Melissa, Stephanie, and Julia out of the cafeteria. They ended up in the empty hallway near the locker-clad walls, which Melissa just so happened to stop right in front of Henry's locker.

"Why are we at my locker?" Henry asked, hands in his pockets.

Melissa turned from him to the locker, who had a genuine look of surprise. "This is your locker? Oh well."

"So, continuing with the survey," Melissa continued. "There are 2 columns. _I would be_ , and _I wouldn't_ _be_."

"You would put a tally mark under _I would be_ if you do know that you'll be committed in a relationship," Stephanie carried on. "Or you would put a tally mark under _I wouldn't be_ if you decide to be a horrible person and not be committed."

"If you're not sure whether you are or aren't," Julia spoke. "Ask yourself- imagine that you're dating someone you like. Are you willing to be with them for a long time?"

Jasper began to think of Heather. _Yes._

"Sadly, there are some people who just _not_ committed." Melissa, Stephanie, and Julia all shared a glance, before Stephanie took supposedly her phone out of her pocket.

The raven-haired girl gave Henry the clipboard, who instantly put a mark on _I would be_. He gave it to Charlotte, who looked between the two columns. As they did that, Jasper glanced down at the phone in Stephanie's hands.

"One specific person _we're_ talking about.. you should know very well. We do too."

Charlotte marked _I would be_ , and absentmindedly gave the clipboard to Jasper. Henry and her had equally confused looks plastered on their faces. "Who?"

..

"Heather Charleston."

..

Henry and Charlotte slowly turned to Jasper, who snapped his head up and had a look of pure disbelief. His grip on the clipboard tightened. Melissa observed his stiff posture.

"Quite a surprise, isn't it?" the raven-haired girl spoke. "After all, she was the first person we asked."

"Then you know why she's not here today," Charlotte told her.

Melissa's eyes dilated slightly, before straightening her shoulders. "She's sick today."

Henry nodded in understanding, and whipped his head over to Jasper who still hadn't signed the survey yet.

" _Heather_ , of all people," Melissa continued, hands behind her back and sauntering around. "Such a nice girl, wasn't she?"

At that, the blond and the curly-haired girl nodded. Jasper only stood there; he was still eerily quiet.

"Devastating to hear, that she'll never be committed in a relationship. I have pity for her eventual boyfriends."

Jasper's brows knitted together. His arms were slack by his sides.

"You're serious? Heather _isn't?_ " Henry asked, raising an eyebrow.

Melissa nodded. "I'm serious. Heather seemed reluctant saying it, but she really did know she wasn't committed."

Stephanie was still looking down at the phone, hastily typing before looking over to Julia and whispering, asking for assurance. Julia only nodded before snapping her head up at Jasper, amused by his reaction. The blonde twin gave Melissa the phone, who glanced at it for a bit before looking back at Henry, Charlotte, and Jasper.

"Did you sign the survey yet?" Melissa asked, glancing down at the clipboard. Jasper looked down at the clipboard in his hand, and shook his head.

"Well, you probably should."

"What's with the phone?" Jasper asked rather abruptly. The raven-haired girl looked down at the phone in her hold, and smirked.

"You three seem hesitant."

"We are," Henry spoke.

" _This_ ," Melissa began, waving the phone in her hand. "Is the proof we have."

"A phone?" Henry asked, brows knitted.

"A _recording_ ," Charlotte and Melissa spoke in unison, and Melissa nodded.

Melissa tapped the play symbol, her eyes droopy. "Hear carefully."

..

" _I.. I don't like Jasper. I never had." — "He- he keeps advancing to me, asking if he wants to hang out and stuff, but I'm always reluctant. I really don't want to, but I have no other choice. Jasper's really weird and obnoxious, and I wouldn't see myself dating him. Ever."_

..

Jasper dropped the clipboard and the pen from his hands, his eyes looking rather weary. His hands went completely numb, ever so slightly losing his balance. Julia and Stephanie both had their brows knitted, _upset_ looks plastered on their faces. Melissa stepped back, giving Jasper space. Henry and Charlotte turned to Jasper, looks of pity. Henry reached an arm out to hold his shoulder as consolation. The curly-haired boy shoved his arm away, turning around and storming away. He wiped his eyes, which started to develop tears. The blond and curly-haired boy only watched in disappointment.

Melissa had a sheepish look on her face. "God, I'm so sorry."

Henry picked up the clipboard from the floor that Jasper had dropped only seconds ago, and gave it to Melissa. "Thank you for telling us."

She brushed it off. "No problem. I suggest giving him space. And if Heather comes back.."

"Heather's a cruel person," Henry spoke, distraught. Melissa nodded in understanding.

"We see how you feel. Being friends with her as well, it hurt a lot."

Henry nodded, and waved bye to them, Charlotte following after him with a reluctant look on her face.

..

 _There's something off about this._

 _.._

Melissa, Stephanie, and Julia watched the two as they left.

"Heather _is_ certainly a cruel person," Melissa murmured, before sneering.

* * *

Heather had returned the next day, clearing her throat. She opened the glass doors and found Melissa, Stephanie, and Julia standing right in front of her, stupid grins plastered on their faces. They all had gift bags in their hands, which Heather raised a brow at.

"Welcome back, girl!" Melissa exclaimed, rushing over to wrap her arms tightly around Heather. Heather was already accustomed to them, and returned the hug. She smiled, supposedly a _genuine_ one.

"Hey!" Heather greeted, an amused glint in her eyes.

"Hope you're feeling better.. we got you some gifts!" Stephanie spoke, hugging her. Julia repeated the act, before handing her the green gift bag.

"You'll love it," Julia told the blonde. Heather opened the bag to find a stuffed bear that had a red heart stitched in its hand.

The blonde glanced down at the bear, unsure. "Uh, thanks Julia."

Stephanie shoved her bag in Heather's arms, for which she was startled. Heather hesitantly opened it to find a 24-pack of those heart-shaped candies. "You got me candy?"

"Candy helps me feel better," Stephanie spoke, shrugging. Heather nodded in understanding.

Melissa smiled at the blonde, handing her the pink gift bag. "We missed you _so_ much."

"I was only gone for a day."

"Well, it was a significant amount of time."

"You were fine before I transferred here."

"Because I didn't know you yet. Just open my gift," Melissa told her, brows knitted. Heather shrugged, opening the bag to reveal a quilt with red, blue, and hints of yellow, silver, and orange. Initially, she loved it. But as she observed the design, the way the colors were aligned, and how _eerily_ it matched..

Heather's eyes dilated.

"I- I like it," Heather spoke to Melissa, and she smiled.

"I knew you would like it."

 _Really? You knew?_

 _.._

 _How?_

 _.._

"It's cool. I do like these colors."

"They do look rather nice, don't they?" Heather nodded.

The blonde put all of her gifts in her backpack. "Thanks, you guys."

"No problem," Stephanie and Julia replied simultaneously.

The four girls started to tread around the hallways. The blonde twins were having their own conversation, Heather noted that they were most likely arguing about who gave the better gift. She rolled her eyes, and Melissa turned to Heather, straining a smile. For Heather, it became a lot easier to distinguish the raven-haired girl's genuine and strained smiles. It was too easy.

"So, did anything happen while I was gone?" Heather asked, curious.

Melissa turned away momentarily, and whipped her head back to the blonde. "Uh.. not much. Rather uneventful, actually."

She nodded in reply. "I see."

"How're you feeling?" Melissa asked abruptly, her smile straining even more as she desperately wanted to change the subject.

Heather shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess.. I feel a lot better than yesterday."

"That- that's great to- ah, hear."

The blonde glanced over at Melissa, who evidently looked rather nervous. She shook her head, turning away.

Soon enough, the bell rang for the first class period. The raven-haired girl snatched Heather's arm, dragging her to the classroom. "We should probably get to class!"

"Our classroom is not that far.." Heather trailed off, raising a brow. _Melissa sure was acting strange. Like, a lot more than she usually does._

* * *

At lunch, Heather could see Henry and Charlotte sitting at a table quite far from the one she sat at with Melissa, Stephanie, and Julia. Occasionally, Charlotte would quickly glance at Heather and then almost instantly turn away. The blonde raised an eyebrow at this; it was unusual for the curly-haired girl to not wave at her, as she was accustomed to so. She shrugged, and took a bite from her sandwich.

"Oreste was being _so_ stupid to me during algebra," Stephanie told the group. "He kept saying that I don't know anything about inequalities."

"Because you _don't_ ," Julia retorted, eating her clementine orange. Stephanie glared at her twin.

"You can't even do metric conversions, Jules," she responded. Julia kicked her in the shin under the table, and Stephanie growled.

"To be fair, Oreste is a jerk," Melissa spoke, and Stephanie nodded in agreement.

Heather whipped her head to the three. "Oreste? As in, Oreste Falcone?"

Stephanie nodded. "Yes. The Italian dude."

The blonde raised a brow. "He's not that mean."

"That's because you're a transfer," the raven-haired girl replied. "He's genuinely nice to people who transfer here. Others, he doesn't care."

The blonde had a sheepish look plastered on her face. "Oh.."

As the four girls continued with several conversations, eventually a brunette girl walked over to the table. Heather didn't know her, but it seemed that Melissa has.

" _Bianca_ , hi."

Bianca smiled a small one at Melissa, and her eyes moved to Heather. "Didn't you transfer here a few weeks ago?"

"Yeah, I did," Heather replied. The brunette smiled.

"I'm Bianca," she spoke, putting a hand out. Heather didn't hesitate to shake her hand.

..

Henry eyed Bianca and Heather at the table distances away. His brows were knitted, putting down his bottle of juice.

"Why is Bianca talking to _her?_ "

Charlotte glanced at the brunette and the blonde. "Maybe Bianca became friends with her..?"

The blond boy whipped his head to Charlotte. "Bianca? Friends with Heather? _God,_ I hope not."

The curly-haired girl shrugged. "It's a possibility."

"Well, I hate it."

..

"Hello, Bianca," Heather greeted.

"Do you wanna sit with us?" Stephanie asked, and at that Bianca shook her head.

"I already ate, I was just planning to go outside," the brunette replied, motioning to the door, and Stephanie nodded.

"Well, see you," Melissa told her as she walked away.

Heather sat in her spot, suddenly losing her appetite. She turned to the table where Henry and Charlotte were, and the whole time she watched, neither of them would look back and wave, smile, or even acknowledge her existence. It irked the blonde; even during class Henry stopped making stupid comments to her, he seemed to be paying attention more in class or whispering to Charlotte. Even the curly-haired girl hadn't talked at all to her, which was strange since Heather was used to it by now. So why, all of a sudden, did they stop talking to her?

The blonde turned to Melissa, who was laughing at a statement Stephanie mentioned.

..

 _What really happened?_

* * *

Heather was walking to her next class when she whipped her head around to find a familiar head of blond standing next to his locker. As he grabbed his textbook out of his locker, Henry shut it closed and turned around to find Heather with a small smile on her face. Initially, he blinked, before his brows furrowed and he shook his head, walking right past her. She watched him leave in pure disbelief. _Did he really just ignore me?_

She shook her head, heading to her locker which was conveniently placed near his. The blonde opened it, and as she did she saw Charlotte walk by.

"Hi, Charlotte," Heather called out to her. The curly-haired girl paused, before continuing with her steps. Heather's brows knitted together.

"Why are they ignoring me?" Heather murmured to herself, grabbing her own textbook before purposefully slamming her locker shut. It made a rather loud noise, for which Ms. Shapen who was walking by nearly jumped from the sound. She looked down at Heather.

"Don't slam the locker door that much, Heather," the woman scolded. Heather nodded, and began to walk to her class in small, hesitant steps. _I really want to know what's going on.._

* * *

Another day passed, and she walked over to Melissa and Stephanie. Heather observed the lack of Stephanie's twin, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Where's Julia?" Heather asked.

"Uh, not here," Stephanie replied rather abruptly. The blonde raised an eyebrow, before sighing. Stephanie looked down at her phone, and she was texting Julia currently.

..

 _I'm with HH and CB in the quad. Make sure not to bring HC nearby._

 _.._

 _No prob._

 _.._

Melissa glanced down at Stephanie's phone before whipping her head back to Heather. "We should walk around. It's a bit cold outside, so we should probably stay inside."

At that, Heather raised her brow, before shrugging. "Sure.."

When they began to walk around, Melissa nudged elbows with Heather. "Your hair is pretty."

Heather looked at her wavy hair. "Uh.. thanks..?"

"No problem." And that strained smile appeared again. _I swear there's something wrong with Melissa._

The blonde herself strained a smile as well, still not sure as to what the heck was going on for the past days concerning Henry and Charlotte, and Melissa. And soon enough, the lack of Jasper.

* * *

This time, it was only Melissa. Heather treaded over to her, snatching her arm.

"Now where's _Stephanie?_ " she asked, demand in her tone.

"I- I don't think she's here today.." the raven-haired girl trailed off.

"Julia wasn't here yesterday either."

"You know, it's flu season."

Heather raised a brow. "I didn't see them in class either. Are they really sick?"

Melissa had the urge to kick Heather in the shin again. " _Yes_ , they most likely are."

"It's like they're leaving individually," Heather spoke, and the raven-haired girl shook her head almost instantly.

"N- no! Not at all," Melissa assured.

Heather turned away to leave before grabbing Melissa by the collar.

"You know something."

"No I don't!" Melissa yelped, clawing at her arm.

"You're lying," Heather replied, her grip on the raven-haired girl's collar tightening. "I'm tired of your lies. Something's wrong, and you caused it."

"How- dare- you accuse me!" She exclaimed, nails puncturing into Heather's sweater clad arm.

"I have _every_ right to."

Melissa's head whipped around to see Henry and Charlotte walking by, and when they observed the situation between Heather and Melissa, their eyes dilated and Henry treaded to them, standing next to Heather, his brows furrowing. As Charlotte stood nearby, Julia and Stephanie walked by, before stopping as they saw Heather. They began to walk backwards but Heather's head whipped over to them, and back to Melissa.

"Liar! They were here the whole time!" Heather exclaimed at Melissa, who growled. Henry grabbed Heather's arm, pulling it away from Melissa.

"Get off of her!" Henry defended, and Melissa nearly stumbled.

Heather snapped to Henry. "Are you _defending_ Melissa?"

"Actually," Heather continued. "I should be asking the _main_ question. Why is it now that you decide to talk to me?"

"You were hurting Melissa," Henry retorted, stomping in front of Heather.

"She's a _liar_ , Henry. Did she fool you too?" Heather asked, pointing a finger at Henry.

"Melissa's not a liar," Henry replied, anger in his tone. "The only liar here is _you_."

..

Heather paused, disbelief plastered on her face. " _Me?_ Since when have _I_ ever lied to you?"

Henry shoved her hand away. "Not to _me._ To Jasper."

Her breath hitched, eyes dilating. "I have _never_ lied to Jasper."

"Then why did you decide to ruin him in the worst way possible?"

The blonde's jaw went slack. " _How?_ "

"You know," Henry continued, dry laughter erupting. "He wanted to ask you out. But you weren't here that day. Melissa told us everything; how you deceived him into thinking you liked him back."

"I- I never-" Heather began.

"You told them-" the blond boy pointed to Melissa, Stephanie, and Julia, who all watched quietly. "And they told us."

"Henry.."

"You _hurt_ my best friend!" Henry exclaimed, shoving her back. Charlotte began to interfere, but Henry shook his head at her. " _You're_ the reason why he hasn't been going to school! He's locked himself in his bedroom for days, and it's all your fault."

"No.." Heather could feel tears well up in her eyes. "Henry, trust me, I swear I didn't.. Melissa's lying.."

"You're the real liar here," Henry spat at her. "I can't believe I was so stupid to actually believe you.. you're a horrible person."

Heather's breath hitched in her throat, mouth quivering. Charlotte's back shivered from the tension. She had never seen Heather cry, she wanted Henry to stop, but to no avail.

The blonde locked eyes with the blond boy, whose brows were knitted and he looked absolutely infuriated. She turned to Charlotte, who tried her best to stay as neutral as possible. Heather refused to look directly at the group of girls; she knew that they all watched in amusement, to see her in her demise. Heather stormed away, letting the tears flow down her face, and she hurried herself to the front office to leave as quickly as possible, to get away from them.

 _They all went against me._

 _Me._

She sat in the seat provided by the office.

 _I knew I shouldn't have told Melissa. She used me._

She wiped a tear from her eye.

 _Melissa manipulated them. To think that I was the liar._

 _But we all know that she's the real deceiver._

A counselor hastily asked if she was fine, for which Heather nodded, albeit hesitantly.

 _What am I saying? I_ _am_ _a liar._

 _I haven't told anyone back home that I was Girl Danger. I've been lying to Jasmine, to my family, to everyone._

 _I've lied about my job. What I actually do there. I make up lies with Rey._

A secretary briefly comforted her verbally.

 _I hurt Jasper. I hurt Henry's best friend._

 _Will Jasmine be that way when I tell her my own secret?_

They offered to call Rey to pick her up.

 _I'm too overwhelmed about this. It hurt._

 _Henry had a right to be angry._

 _Will he and Charlotte forgive me?_

The secretary assured her that Rey would come to get her in a few minutes.

..

 _Maybe he was right._

 _Maybe I really am a horrible person._

A tear dropped from her cheek to her thigh as her head tilted in shame.

* * *

 **Chapter Six! As of now, this seems to be my longest chapter. It's actually about the size of a "normal" chapter but it is longer by.. not that much. So, a lot of drama here. Heather cries a lot, but it had to be done. Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome!**


	7. Hello to Tension

**Opposites But Not**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own the show, characters, excluding Rey and Heather. I only own the plot!

* * *

Henry had arrived to work some time after school with an objective to talk to Ray. As he entered, he found Gooch sitting at the counter having a seemingly normal conversation with the plant Omar. On his first day, the whole concept perplexed him but after being on the job for about a year he's become accustomed to it, and practically any relevant strange topic.

So as he waved at the man and headed to the elevator, he nearly slammed the button back and eventually entered. Henry didn't hesitate to, again, slam the button, for which the elevator abruptly descended and he started to yell at the rather strange feeling of descending meters underground. You'd assume being there for some amount of time he'd be used to the feeling of the elevator, but until now he manages to scream as if in terror in there.

The elevator door opened to reveal him clutching the sides tightly and his legs splayed across the platform, and he saw the brunette man wearing his casual clothing, arms crossed. Ray turned around to see Henry, and his initial face then turned into ecstasy.

"Henry!" Ray called out to him as Henry hastily stood up and stormed inside the Man Cave.

"Hey," Henry replied, agitated.

Ray's smile disappeared at his tone. "Kid, what's wrong?"

Henry plopped down on the couch, an exasperated look on his face. Initially, he did not answer Ray's question. Albeit Ray's anxious stare was starting to annoy Henry and at that point he decided to answer.

"Something at school happened today."

The brunette's eyes dilated ever so slightly, and he treaded over to the couch, standing behind it and gripping the top rather tightly.

The anxious stare that Henry now despised came back on Ray's face. "What happened? A girl rejected you?"

Henry's nostrils flared. "No."

Ray momentarily turned away, mumbling to himself before turning back to Henry. "You got bullied?"

"I got _lied_ to. Both Charlotte and I."

The man had a sheepish look on his face. "Oh, yeah. Being lied to- not a fun thing."

Henry shot up from his seat. "We thought she was our friend. Turns out we can't trust her at all."

At that, the brunette's eyebrows raised. He followed Henry who began to walk around angrily. "Her? Who is she? And what exactly did she do?"

The blond sighed, rubbing his eyes before turning to Ray. "Her name's Heather Charleston."

Ray stared blankly, before he took the name into account. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Heather.. the girl who Jasper was supposed to ask out on a date?"

"Yes," Henry replied with the same tone. "Jasper really liked her, and she tricked him into thinking she liked him back."

The brunette's eyebrow creased. "That sucks," he added.

"Isn't it?" Henry stated, stomping his foot. "Jasper refuses to go to school and he hasn't been answering mine or Charlotte's calls. I'm worried about him."

Henry's brows knitted as he started to tread the room in hopes to alleviate his anger. So far, to no avail. Ray stood in his stance, attempting to think of a way to somehow make things better. He couldn't think of anything. The blond continued to find methods to make him less infuriated.

The man perked up, whipping his head to Henry. "So Heather told you guys that she didn't like Jasper..?"

He paused, fists clenching. "Well, it was actually her friend Melissa that told us that she didn't like Jasper."

Ray raised a brow. "And how did you know that Heather was pretending to like Jasper for his sake?"

"Melissa gave a recording of Heather saying that," Henry continued. "She mentioned that she actually hates being with him but has no other choice."

"Wait, wait," the brunette intervened. "How did this Melissa get a _recording?_ "

Henry shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "I don't- it doesn't matter! Melissa was able to reveal to us how much of an untrustworthy person Heather is!"

"Alright, I won't ask," Ray defended, putting two hands in surrender as he backed away.

"Thank you," Henry concluded with a tone of relief. "I'm still really worried about Jasper."

Soon enough, Ray put a hand on his back, lightly slapping it. "You should probably give him some time."

"But it's been _days_ since it happened," Henry pleaded.

"Give him more time," the brunette blurted out, turning away.

Henry scowled at him. "You're not helping."

"Maybe _you_ could," Ray suggested, arms crossed over his chest. "I mean, you're worried about him after all. Go to his house."

The blond actually considered that. He had look of ponder upon himself, brow raised. "I guess.. but how would I convince him?"

"You could tell Jasper that you're really worried about him."

"I don't think that would work."

Ray huffed. "Do you want to help Jasper or not?"

The blond's anger returned, nearly at the brim. "Of course I do!" At that, Ray flinched.

"Then head on over to Jasper's house and follow what I told you!" Ray told him, gesturing his arms to the elevator. "Off you go."

Henry glanced at the elevator momentarily, and back to Ray. "How about _you_ go."

The brunette deadpanned at him. "And what would I do? He barely knows me."

"As _Ray_ , he does."

..

"I will _not_ go to his house as Captain Man."

Again, the boy stomped his foot. "Ray, please?" Henry practically pleaded.

The brunette sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes. "Fine," he drawled.

"Yes! Thank you!" the blond exclaimed, not hesitating to jump on Ray and hug him.

Ray had a small smile plastered on his face. "No problem. Anything for my sidekick." He lightly slapped his back.

Henry felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

* * *

The curly-haired boy was sitting against the wall of his bedroom, legs drawn up to his chest, and hugged them tightly. A dead, neutral glint was present in his eyes. Jasper had no interest in speaking, or even remotely doing anything. His mother tried to ask, but he refused any communication, so she let him be. The boy had done enough crying. He was waiting for the next flood of tears the next day.

Jasper looked up at the ceiling in an attempt not to cry again.

 _What, exactly, is wrong with me?_

 _Heather, I'd like some information. Why you decided to absolutely ruin me._

His nails dug into his legs, nostrils flared.

 _Tell me. I want to know what you think of me, and I want you to be honest._

 _Completely._

He stared blankly. There was no reason for his thoughts.

 _I've grown to hate you, oh so dearly._

 _.._

 _This isn't like me, but I want you to experience this too. To understand my pain._

 _I bet you aren't even guilty._

 _You're horrible, and I just hope_

A knock on his window was heard. Jasper whipped his head to the window across the room, and his eyes dilated. In the view, he saw the familiar masked figure. He raised a brow, resisting his genuine surprise.

Ray didn't hesitate to slide his window open. He nodded at Jasper who sat idly on the floor with a perplexed face.

"Hello," the brunette greeted.

"..hi?" Jasper murmured, his voice hoarse from lack of use.

"It came to my attention that you've been feeling down for _several_ days," Ray continued, hopping inside the bedroom and shutting the window.

Jasper nodded, eyes following Ray as he began to saunter around.

"So I decided to come here. To help," he finished, flashing a smile.

The curly-haired boy nodded again, before looking back at Ray. "H-how did you know?" he asked, clearing his throat.

Ray shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm Captain Man," he reasoned.

"But I never called you."

The brunette sighed. "Do you want help or not?"

"I want you to leave," Jasper retorted, out of character.

Ray whipped his head back to Jasper. "We've met on several occasions. For example, your birthday. At your friend's house.. the blond one.. more than once."

Jasper's brows furrowed. "So? What does that have to do with anything?"

"You were so excited to see me," he continued. "I can tell that your issue is pretty serious, you're telling me to leave this time." Ray sat on the edge of Jasper's bed, facing the curly-haired boy. "Do you mind telling me what's wrong?"

He huffed. "It's not any of your business." Jasper turned away from him.

The brunette gave him the anxious stare that he gave Henry moments ago. "Did I come here for nothing?"

"Yes."

Ray rolled his eyes. "I know you're really upset. It's radiating off of you."

"Well, I can solve this problem myself," Jasper told him, standing up and slightly stumbling. He stayed in that position for a few hours until now. "Leave."

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what the problem is," Ray spoke, standing up from the bed. He stared down at Jasper.

Jasper stomped his foot, irritated. "You don't need to know my darn problem!" he exclaimed.

Ray moved backwards, alarmed by his tone. "Hey, Jasper, calm down.."

"I can't!" the boy shouted, his anger at the brim. "She lied to me! She probably didn't even care about how I feel! I really liked her! And n-now I _hate_ her!" And there, tears streamed down his cheeks despite attempts to _not_ cry again. Jasper could no longer stop himself.

The brunette stood in his stance, awkwardly. He watched Jasper with pity, as the curly-haired boy cried, his limbs going weak again. Ray walked over to him, and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, kid."

He wiped his eye, mouth quivering. "N-no, _I'm_ sorry. I'm crying in front of the greatest superhero ever."

"It's ok," Ray assured. "You mentioned someone. Mind explaining?" Jasper snapped up at him. "Or.. if you don't want to, it's fine with me. I can't force you."

Jasper sniffed. "There's this girl named Heather at my school."

Ray nodded, despite already knowing the story.

"And I-I really liked her," he explained. "But recently.. I found out that she never liked me back, and only pretended to."

"Why would she do that?" Ray asked with fake curiosity, although deep down some genuine curiosity was there somewhere.

The curly-haired boy began to tread around the room. "I still don't know. Her friend said 'for my sake' or whatever."

"And who is her friend, exactly?" the brunette continued, raising a brow.

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Her name is Melissa. She's the one that told me that Heather never liked me."

"Why didn't _Heather_ tell you herself?" the brunette asked.

The curly-haired boy rubbed his eyes which were now slightly puffy. "She wasn't there that day."

"Describe Melissa for me," Ray requested, and Jasper raised a brow.

"Why would I do that?" he asked.

"I need more information for my next question."

Jasper paused momentarily before speaking again. "Melissa's this girl who seems to do anything to get what she wants. When I talked with Heather, she would drag Heather away."

"I see," Ray spoke, crossing his arms over his chest. "Does Melissa hate Heather by any chance?"

The curly-haired boy stared blankly at the brunette. "No clue."

"I mean, if Melissa always drags her away, you could assume that."

"Perhaps," Jasper replied. "What are you trying to say?"

"Well, if Heather wasn't there that day when Melissa told you, maybe she did that because she hates Heather? To tell you that Heather doesn't like you?"

..

Jasper immediately glared at Ray, folding his arms over his chest. "That's stupid. I wouldn't expect that coming from you."

Ray shrugged nonchalantly, backing away. "Fine, then. Don't consider what I said."

He began to walk back to the window, flipping the latch open. "Although, if you do bother, you'll thank me for the great deed."

"Why would I thank you for something that sounds stupid? Melissa told me the truth," Jasper reasoned, brows furrowed.

"Deceivers are around, Jasper Dunlop."

And he left through the window.

It kept him all night thinking about Ray's words, despite having a mental argument with himself about believing the man. But somehow it convinced him to return to school.

* * *

In a similar setting, Heather sat in the far corner of her bedroom, cheeks hollow and eyes red and puffy. She eyed the uneaten plates of food that Rey placed near the door with disdain along with want. The blonde resisted. She had no interest to stand up and continue with her normal activities. Thinking to herself that she cried an adequate amount, tears would still eventually fall. Heather was absolutely distracted in her thoughts, school, _friends_ , and at this time homesickness welled up inside her. It was an abysmal feeling to her; Heather _hated_ experiencing it. It eventually lead to thoughts about her supposed failure.

 _Why are you even crying? You deserved this. You were stupid. Stubborn. Daft. It's been weeks, do you see yourself going home? Darnit, do you? No! And it's all your fault. Everything's your fault._

Heather stared longingly, hoping a tear wouldn't drop again. She was tired of crying.

 _You brought yourself and Rey here. You hurt Jasper. You lost all of your friends._

 _What else is there in store? To completely emasculate yourself?_

Soon enough, Rey slowly creeped through the door, seeing Heather in the corner. Her brows were creased from worry.

"Do you want me to call in from school?" the brunette asked quietly. "I know you don't feel that good, I thought it'd might be best."

Heather turned to her, and nodded. Her eyes spoke gratitude.

Rey inclined in understanding, and turned to the plates. Sadness was imbedded in her eyes, worry. She picked up both plates and stacked one on top of the other, and quietly closed the door with her free hand, leaving Heather to her own devices. She didn't need sentiment. It always led to more dilemmas and Heather was no mood to solve any.

..

 _Is this how Jasper felt?_

Shame flooded through her again.

* * *

Henry treaded through the school hallways the next day, his mind still attempting to conquer thoughts that related to Heather. They were disturbing him- he could care less, he told himself. They always appeared and it annoyed him immensely. The blond didn't want to be part of any of this anymore, but his grudge against the blonde girl still existed and nearly prevented him from doing anything.

As he arrived near his locker, he froze in his tracks, and walked in reverse. Henry found a familiar boy with curly hair standing at his locker, staring blankly into it. He slowly advanced him.

"J-Jasper?" Henry murmured, relief flooding through him. Jasper turned his head steadily at Henry, and a small glint of happiness appeared in his eyes.

"Hey, Henry," Jasper spoke, seemingly normal.

The blond looked in both directions before whipping his head back to Jasper. "How're you feeling?" he asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Kinda better," he replied, shrugging.

"What made you go back to school after a couple days?" Henry questioned, and at that Jasper stiffened.

"Captain Man came to my room yesterday," Jasper told him, raising a brow. "I never called; it was really weird but somehow he convinced me."

Henry had a sheepish look on his face, silently thanking Ray. "Oh.. that's great, I guess."

Jasper closed his locker and craned his head, peering around the hallways. A pang of dread was in his stomach, hoping, just _hoping_ that he wouldn't have to see _her._

"Is something wrong?" Henry asked, looking in the same direction the curly-haired boy was.

The curly-haired boy grabbed the blond by the shoulders. "Is _she_ here?" he hissed.

"She..oh," the blond paused, viewing around again. "I haven't seen her." Jasper sighed in relief. "But it's only been an hour since school started, she might be here actually." The curly-haired boy groaned.

"You never know," Henry continued. "You can stay with me for now. I'll make sure you don't run into her."

Jasper smiled slightly at him. "Thanks, Hen."

In reply, Henry smiled back. "No problem, Jasp." Eventually, the bell rang. "We better meet up with Charlotte and head to class."

And they did just that. Charlotte was initially startled to see Jasper back, but quite glad as well. Uncertainty filled her, and it left Charlotte anxiously tapping her fingers on the desk incessantly. Henry noticed her behavior, and questioned it. She whipped her head in Jasper's direction to make sure he wasn't listening.

"Are you going to tell him about what happened with Heather?" Charlotte whispered to him, and he sat stiffly in his chair, eyes dilating.

"I- I'm guessing he doesn't want Heather to be mentioned around him," Henry replied. "I will tell him, just not now."

Charlotte nodded, and turned back to face the front of the class.

Eventually, the period ended and Henry, Jasper, and Charlotte headed out of the class and into the hallway. As they walked, two boys with dark hair sauntered over to them.

"Have you seen Heather?" one asked, and Jasper stiffened from the name.

"No.." Henry trailed off, furrowing his brows. "Why do you wanna know?"

Davide raised a brow at his tone. "We know that you know her."

"Well I think she's not here today," he replied, agitated. "Come on, let's go," he told Jasper and Charlotte.

"Hey!" Oreste called out, snatching Henry's arm, and the blond glared up at him. "What's got your underwear in a twist, Henry?"

"You're still friends with her, right?" Davide questioned, and the blond began to be increasingly irritated.

Henry huffed. " _Heather_ is no longer friends with us."

"Wait, you guys are in our class. Who are you two again?" Charlotte intervened, hoping Henry wouldn't get mad again.

Oreste smirked. "I am Oreste Falcone," he spoke, gesturing to himself.

"And I'm Davide Martello," the other told them, flashing a smile. Henry glared at them.

"Nice to know!" The blond said sarcastically. "Now leave us alone!"

"I heard you two were only nice to transfers," Jasper spoke, raising a brow. At that, Oreste shook his head.

He crossed his arms over his chest. "No, no. He and I are just picky about everyone here. You three aren't that bad, well, perhaps two.." He turned over to Henry, as if referring to him. In response, the blond gestured at them to leave.

The two boys shared a glance, and began to tread away. Henry was relieved momentarily, before seeing Davide and Oreste return, gripping Jasper's shoulders.

"We heard what happened," both whispered simultaneously. "Melissa is one crazy person," Davide added, before they left again.

Jasper stood in his stance, brows furrowed. He wasn't sure why Davide had told him that, perhaps he heard wrong and meant Heather. Henry and Charlotte watched him anxiously, before the curly-haired boy continued walking with them to the next class period.

* * *

"I'm guessing Heather isn't here today because she realized how horrible she was," Henry hissed to Charlotte in the cafeteria. The curly-haired girl whipped her head to him, going to scold him for saying that but stopped herself. She didn't want to cause any more tension if Henry found out..

Charlotte absolutely dreaded drama between her friends. So when Henry and Jasper started a grudge against Heather, and Heather supposedly having a grudge against Jasper and now Henry, well, the curly-haired girl expected the worse, especially if the blonde was here today. She would brace herself when Heather returned. So during lunch, it was just Henry talking smack about Heather as Jasper was getting lunch from the line.

"Yeah, I guess.." Charlotte trailed off, pulling off a neutral face.

Henry turned to Jasper who was currently paying for his food, and back to Charlotte. "Should we tell him about what happened yesterday?"

She stared blankly at the blond before answering. "I think it's time. We shouldn't wait any longer, especially since Heather might come back tomorrow."

The boy deadpanned. "True."

Jasper walked over to the table and sat across from Charlotte. The blond and the curly-haired girl eyed him with hesitancy. He noticed it.

"What?" Jasper questioned, raising a brow as he locked glances with both.

"We need to tell you something," Henry spoke abruptly.

"And that is..?"

Henry gestured at Charlotte to continue for him, and she did. "We need to tell you what happened while you were gone," she spoke.

The curly-haired boy huffed. "Is it about Heather?"

Charlotte and Henry glanced at each other. "Yes," both said simultaneously.

Jasper rolled his eyes. "I already said I didn't want to hear-"

"Jasper, we know," Henry interrupted. "But you need to know about what happened yesterday."

"Henry and I, along with Stephanie and Julia confronted Heather," Charlotte continued.

"What about Melissa?"

"Heather was already with Melissa."

Jasper nodded in understanding. "And? What else happened?"

"Henry shoved Heather against the lockers and insulted her," the curly-haired girl spoke before sipping her water.

Henry huffed. "I wish I did worse." At that, Charlotte whipped her head at him again before reluctantly nodding.

During this time, a thought appeared in Henry's mind. Days ago from the café. When he and Ray saw Heather with that random person. He ought to tell Jasper.

"Apparently Heather has a boyfriend," Henry blurted, and Charlotte nearly choked on her drink.

"What?!" The curly-haired girl sputtered, and the blond and the curly-haired boy gave her a confused look. "I-I'm just confused w-why does she even have a boyfriend she's s-so horrible..!"

Jasper nodded. "She's probably gonna cheat on him or something.."

The blond smirked. "Good thing you aren't her boyfriend." And he and Jasper chuckled. Charlotte laughed dryly.

The three teens continued with their lunch, occasionally talking smack about Heather and a guilty Charlotte having to force laughter. Jasper and Henry never noticed, and she was guessing that they'd be too stubborn and would go against her too if they found out that Charlotte was on Heather's side.

* * *

Rey opened Heather's door quietly to find the blonde laying down on her back on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. She placed another plate of food on the desk, despite hesitancy _She wasn't eating any of the meals, what was the point?_ but her maternal instinct allowed her to bring more in the event Heather bothered to eat again.

"Thanks," Heather spoke hoarsely as she continued staring at the ceiling. Her fingers were entwined and laying on her abdomen.

"No problem," Rey replied, a small smile on her face. She closed the door again, and shook her head. Oh, how she wanted to do something, _anything_ to fix Heather. Rey was absolutely crestfallen. It hit hard.

Heather turned her head to the plate nearby, and want suddenly flooded through her. She reasoned that she should eat at least once- the blonde didn't want to starve to death, but she supposed that Henry and Jasper would love her to-

She shut her eyes closed. _Henry and Jasper. Henry Hart and Jasper Dunlop. Two 14 year olds who hated me oh so dearly. Perhaps Charlotte ought to join too?_

The blonde slowly sat up from her bed, eyes weary. Heather got off the bed and walked over to her desk, and grabbed the plate of pasta. She gingerly ate it, feeling more full and slightly less depressed. A glint of mirth was in her eyes as she finally decided to leave her bedroom. Heather picked up the plate and opened the door, and walked down the small flight of stairs to the main area of the floor. Rey whipped her head to Heather, and smirked.

"Finally getting out now?" she asked, hopeful. Heather nodded as she headed to the kitchen. "Great."

"What do you plan to do now?" Rey questioned her.

Heather shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm not sure." _I'm still distracted in my thoughts_

As if to answer her prayers, Rey suggested, "I know a lot of things are going on. Do you want to work the shop for a bit so you can stay busy?"

The blonde nodded eagerly. "God, yes."

Rey smiled. "Good for you. Now get out of your pajamas and into normal clothes, Heath."

"Alright, _mom_." And Heather left, leaving Rey with her eyes dilated. Even though she probably jested, it made Rey feel weird but strangely proud that she called her mom. She shrugged, heading over to the sink to wash the plates.

Eventually Heather came back out of her pajamas and she exited the room and descended down the stairs and to the main floor, the shop. She walked over to the counter, idly sitting as Heather observed her surroundings. Few customers, slightly askew stacks of clothes, and soon enough the blonde was back to her thoughts. She nearly kicked herself in the shin, but stopped because it would've made some obnoxious sound that the others would hear, and it reminded her of Melissa.

Heather rubbed her eyes. She thought it would work.

She allowed a customer to pay for their clothing, faking a smile throughout. Heather was accustomed to that by now, learning from the best.

Rey walked in with her arms crossed.

"I'll look after the shop for a while; I need you to do something."

Heather whipped her head to the brunette. "What is it?"

The woman pointed at the glass door, and at the building across from them. "You know that shop? Junk N' Stuff? I need you to ask if they have some tools there."

The blonde stared blankly. "Why?"

Rey observed her surroundings before leaning into the blonde. "I'm gonna continue building the control panel, and I don't have any of the right tools."

Heather nodded, and the brunette gave her a wad of money.

"If you have change, mind giving it back to me?" she asked, and Heather chuckled as she exited Clothes Landing.

"I make no such promises," Heather called out.

* * *

She opened the glass door and immediately yelped from the loud sound of roaring flames. Heather whipped her head to her left to find a dinosaur's head breathing out fire. She had to admit, it was pretty cool. Walking down the steps, she looked around. They were true to name.

Eventually, Heather heard talking. Between two people. She froze in her stance as she held the edge of a table to prevent herself from stumbling. One of the voices..

Two people entered from the back, and the blonde whipped her head to the opening where she saw a very _familiar_ face. Heather wanted to slap him. Why did Rey have to send her now?

It seemed that Henry was bothered as well, seeing her in the shop. The man next him stared at both of them as Henry and Heather locked glares. The tension was nearly at the brim. Heather shook her head, and deciding to ignore more of the blond's glares, she walked over to the counter where the man stood.

"Do you have any.. like.. normal building tools?" Heather asked gingerly, stepping away from Henry as much as possible.

"Of course we do," the man replied, and he reached under the counter to pull out a toolbox. He looked up to find Heather farther away from her original place. Ray noticed that both Henry and her were glaring daggers at each other.

"Is there something _wrong?_ " Ray asked to both of them, and Heather spoke up.

"Yes, he's still alive."

"Now there is- _she's_ in my presence!"

"Hey, hey," the brunette motioned for them to calm. "What's going on?"

"Ray! You know I hate her!" Henry exclaimed, pointing a finger at her.

"I know that too!" Heather exclaimed as well, brows furrowed.

The brunette whipped his head to Heather. Those were the same eyes he looked at in the café. Which also looked very similar to the other pair next to her.

"Wait, who are you?" Ray asked, raising a brow.

"Heather," both Heather and Henry spoke in unison. The blonde glared at him once again.

The man's eyes dilated. " _This_ is Heather?" he asked Henry, and the boy nodded.

"Yes, the girl we saw at the café, the one Jasper used to like, and now the one I hate."

Heather rolled her eyes. "Well aren't you descriptive?"

Henry stomped over to her. "If he wasn't here-" the blond pointed at Ray. "-I would've pinned you to the ground by now."

"Can't hit a girl."

"I'll pretend you're not one." At that, both Heather and Ray gave him a perplexed look. "N-never mind!" he stammered.

Heather slammed the wad of money on the counter. "Hand over the tools."

"Why are you buying tools?" Henry asked, brows raising.

"So I can build something. And also to hit them across your stupid head!" Heather exclaimed, grabbing the box from Ray. The brunette yelped, sliding over the counter and separating Henry and Heather as they tried to fight.

"Both of you! Stop," Ray intervened, brows furrowed. "Heather, you better leave. _I'll_ have a talk with Henry here."

As Heather calmed and started to exit the shop, she stuck her tongue out at the blond boy who growled in response. She opened the door and left, leaving Ray and Henry alone.

" _Henry_ ," Ray warned, gripping him by the shoulders. "You didn't have to do that."

"She-she threatened to hit me with tools!" Henry reasoned. "And I hate her!"

"Heather seemed nice, until _you_ threatened her."

Henry looked aghast. "Are you on her side?"

Ray rolled his eyes. "I'm on nobody's side. I just want you two to stop fighting."

The blond snorted. "Like heck that's gonna happen. The next time I see her, I'm gonna fight her."

"You can't hit a girl."

"Well that one deserves it!" Henry exclaimed, pointing to the exit and at Heather. Both the blond and brunette saw the blonde girl walking over to the building across from them, for which the sign above said Clothes Landing. Ray figured it must've been a shop for clothing. The brunette kept a mental note to himself to visit the shop in hopes to reconcile Henry and Heather so they don't have to go at each other's throats any longer.

* * *

"You got the tools? Great!" Rey spoke, a grin on her face. Heather, on the other hand, was still irritated.

"Yeah," Heather replied dully. The brunette raised a brow.

"Heather?" she questioned. "Is there something wrong?"

"I saw Henry there."

..

Rey sighed, putting a firm hand on her shoulder. "Sorry, kid."

"I think he works there too."

The brunette sputtered. "He works _there?_ "

Heather shrugged. "I guess. I almost fought him but his boss stopped us."

She furrowed her brows. "I'm sorry- I should've went-"

The blonde shook her head. "No, no. It's fine."

Rey gave her an anxious look. "Alright, then." Heather suggested that she'd continue working at the counter, and Rey agreed. The brunette headed upstairs as Heather was left to her own devices in the main floor.

She stared blankly as she sat down at the counter.

 _Is this how it's gonna be now?_

 _I'm just gonna fight him overtime I see him?_

 _.._

 _That was a big step back from what I actually wanted to happen._

Heather sighed, continuing her work as her mind failed to clear any thoughts that had to do with her disappointment.

* * *

 **Chapter Seven- Ray and Heather formally meet each other! As you noticed, Jasper is quite out of character (is he?) but I kinda wanted to emphasize how hurt he was. More eventful stuff will come soon. Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome!**


	8. Are You Happy Now?

**Opposites But Not**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own the show, characters, excluding Rey and Heather. I only own the plot!

Oh goodness I am so sorry for not updating in a week I just started school and I am currently dying from the work load but updates will be more spaced out (hopefully not this much), so I wish you all to be patient. Thanks guys!

* * *

The sound of tool hitting wood panel woke Heather from her nap. Rubbing her eyes and yawning, she treads down and over to the living room to find Rey kneeling on the tile floor, hair up and hands red as she tightly gripped the hammer. Brows furrowed, she continued building the control panel, which Heather had expected to be finished by now, considering the amount of time that lapsed. Apparently Rey was too preoccupied with _current events_ she simply had no time.

Heather watched idly, arms crossed over her chest as she watched Rey struggle to straighten up a screw. A tad amused, she smirked and a small giggle erupted as Rey's expressions became more exaggerated. The brunette whipped her head over to the blonde, glaring, and that's what made Heather burst out laughing.

"Me failing to build stuff isn't funny, Heather."

"I-It's your _f-face!_ " Heather continued laughing.

Rey subconsciously patted her face. "There's nothing wrong with my face."

"Except now." A glint of amusement was imbedded in her eyes. "So you're finally building the control panel after like 2 months?"

"Yes. I didn't realize until yesterday that I never finished it."

Heather stared at her in disbelief. "Until _yesterday_? What, the dozen planks on the floor didn't give you an idea?"

The brunette's jaw went slacked, offended. She intended to throw the rag next to her at Heather's face, albeit missed. Rey huffed and whipped her head back to the soon-to-be control panel. Heather picked the rag up and threw it at Rey's back, who ignored it. She headed back to her room, and splayed herself across the blue and grey duvet. Heather stared at the ceiling that she was all too familiar with.

 _This is getting horribly repetitive. I've been too sappy for the past days. It's annoying._

The blonde's eyelashes fluttered, and eventually shut closed.

 _I want everything like it was before. Something I horribly miss._

..

Heather's eyes shot open. _Well now I can't go back to sleep._

 _I've succumbed to my disappointment! Great!_

 _How did I get from laughing along with Rey to having an existential crisis at 14? When the events make you a completely different person than you were earlier. This is stupid._

 _Can I stop being sappy and get on with my life?_

 _.._

 _I can't avoid my problems. If I want to leave sooner, I have to solve the current situations. That might be a tad difficult- as an example, I nearly fought Henry to the near death at his job. Jasper might be too stubborn to accept, Henry as well. Charlotte's a smart girl; she could find some other reason not to trust me. Melissa is a pain in the bottom, and I can consider it a death wish if I ever attempted to say no or practically any negative statement around her. Stephanie and Julia are basically brain-washed to follow Melissa._

The blonde sat up on her bed, shoulders drooped. Her mind was too preoccupied with her thoughts.

 _That settles it._

 _I'm going to try to fix everything._

 _Starting with going back to school. But I know that if I return it's not like Henry's gonna run up to me and beg on his knees for forgiveness immediately._

 _.._

 _I hope at least_ _one_ _person didn't believe Melissa._

 _.._

 _And, to clarify. I_ _am_ _aware of the dumb survey she made. Clever, yes. Truly broke me. I mean, if one of the most popular girls in school makes a survey to get back at one person, most likely that one person will find out if all of her friends suddenly go against her._

 _.._

 _The Polymath was my previous problem. At some point, Melissa needs to be revealed for how horrible she is. But the Char, Jasp, and Hen problem is my priority right now._

* * *

"It's been days. Do you want independent study?" Rey asked as she connected two wires together. Heather sat on the tile with her back against the rear of the couch, watching the brunette continuing to the build the control panel.

Heather sniffed. "You seem to be working on the control panel a lot," she spoke, abruptly changing the subject.

Rey rolled her eyes. "Don't change the subject. I'm asking you a question."

"Well I'm commenting on your activities."

..

"Answer it, please."

The blonde groaned. "Fine. No."

"You.. _don't_ want independent study?" the brunette questioned, raising a brow.

"Because I want to go back to school."

At that, maternal instinct hit Rey again. She whipped her head to Heather, who stared blankly and shrugged nonchalantly.

 _Is she still hurt? I.._

 _I'm still worried. She keeps trying to hide her emotions._

"A-are you sure?" Rey attempted to confirm, a worried tone in her voice. "I- I mean if y-you still aren't sure-"

Heather interrupted her. "I _am_ sure. You see me cry like half the time now. Boring, right?"

Rey was at a loss for words. "The amount you cry doesn't particularly bother me."

The blonde raised her own brow. "I know it does."

Putting the blue and red wires on the floor, the brunette turned to Heather, and sat Indian style. Her blue eyes locked her brown ones, ones that spoke of genuine assurance. The blonde could see paranoia practically screaming from the cool blue eyes that were on the woman's face.

The brunette blinked slowly. She sighed heavily. "Yes.. you are right," she spoke, albeit reluctantly. "I'm still worried."

Heather creased her brows. "Please don't be worried about me."

Rey shot up from her position. "And why can't I? Heather, I _know_ how hurt you are. Don't hide that from me."

"I'm not hiding anything from you," the blonde responded with a stern tone. "You've already seen everything I had to offer."

"Well, you're trying to take it back."

Heather took a deep breath. "I don't want to argue about this."

"Neither do I, but if you're going to keep doing this we might have a reason to do so," Rey retorted.

The blonde's jaw went slack. "I'm not doing it as often!"

The woman rolled her eyes. "As often. And I'm not Captain Woman."

"Barely. And you really _aren't_ Captain Woman any longer."

Rey's eyes dilated, and she put her hands on her hips. She was beginning to become annoyed. "And what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"What do you think?" Heather replied. "We haven't fought crime in _weeks_. Sorry, a _true_ hero was lost on this day."

She stood in her stance, fists clenching. Rey was in no mood for this.

"If you're going to talk like this, _forget it_. You're not going back to school."

Heather stomped her foot. "Are you kidding me? You don't want me to go back to _school?_ You don't want me to _learn?_ " she asked, sarcastically.

"I don't want you to be associating with people who are just going to _incessantly_ put you down, Heather."

..

The blonde's nostrils flared. "I'm going back to school to _fix that_."

"And if it doesn't work?"

Her frustration was abruptly increased to the brim.

"I _can't_ believe you!" Heather exclaimed. "You think I'm not able to solve my own problems!"

"You've completely _avoided_ them, you stayed in your room and sulked for days. How can I think you will?"

"Well, I've had a change of heart," she spoke. "And if you don't want me to associate with people who put me down, that means I can't talk to _you_ any longer."

..

Rey froze in her stance, incapable of replying. Heather whipped her head away, standing up and calmly walking back up to her bedroom. She slowly closed the door, and jumped on the bed, face down, shutting her eyes.

 _I thought she wanted the best for me. What the heck is Rey doing?_

 _.. Is this some kind of test? To see if I'd do anything to get back at her? Who am I, Melissa?_

 _I hope not._

* * *

..

It was after Heather successfully completed her second nap that she found Rey standing at her doorway, eyes screaming guilt and her arms were crossed over her chest. Her baseball sweater was crinkled, hands red from overuse, and brows knitted together. The brunette looked up at the blonde girl who stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at her. She rolled her eyes.

"Come here to say sorry?"

Rey stared blankly. "Maybe," she spoke hesitantly.

Victory flooded through her. "Well, let's just say that _I_ was right and _you_ were wrong."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Do I have to take that back?"

Heather's eyes dilated. "Oh, God no. I hate arguing with you."

"Well, now you know how _I_ feel," Rey responded, pointing both index fingers to herself. "Please don't make this harder for me. I'm at the brink of losing my mentality because I have to worry about you so much."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"What do you think?" Rey questioned, raising a brow. Soon enough, Heather nodded in understanding.

"Oh, so this is mostly about you now. I can't make you more stupid."

The brunette shook her head in denial. "No, no. It's not _mostly_ about me."

..

"Fine, _it is._ " the woman spoke, observing the blonde's face which had the words _You're lying_ written on it.

"You're so conceited, it's depressing," Heather told her, shaking her head in mock disappointment.

"I'm aware, thanks."

..

"Soo.." the blonde trailed off, hands in pockets.

"You were right," Rey blurted out. "I- you were right. Definitely. I'm sorry I doubted you."

Heather raised a brow. "About?"

"I can tell how devoted you are to rekindling with Henry and the others," the brunette responded, starting to walk as Heather descended down the stairs. She nodded.

"And, I know they're the first people you've met here, and _liked_ , so it's completely understandable to me."

The blonde had a sheepish look on her face. "Yeah.."

Rey sauntered back and patted her shoulder. "Go ahead. Go to school tomorrow, attempt to do so. If it goes well, great. If not.. I'm sure you'll meet new people."

"I guess," Heather spoke. "Thanks, Rey." She wrapped her arms around the brunette woman, who ever so slightly hesitated but then did the same as well.

"No problem. Don't feel helpless- I'm always here."

Heather smiled up at her. "Glad to hear that."

Rey mentally slapped herself.

 _I'm not always here. Sometimes I'm out fighting crime and lying to her._

* * *

Heather opened the glass doors of the building to find the regular groups of classmates walking around, standing, talking, all that. It was a normal occurrence, nothing for her to blink an eye at. Her main objective at the moment, apparently, was to find familiar heads of blond and curly hair, or raven hair and a pair of blondes, though to no avail. She sighed, heading to her locker.

Pushing her thumb on the sensor, she heard the opening of a locker next to her. Heather perked up, hoping to see Henry. Instead, it was a brunette girl who grabbed her book out of her the compartment. Heather recognized her, she shared a history class with her and.. Henry.

Wondering if the girl knew, Heather spoke up. "Hey, do you know where Henry is?" she asked.

The girl turned to her, eyes dilating before calming again. "Uh- no, I think I saw him in the quad.."

Heather nodded. "Thanks, anyways."

"No problem," she piped, before hustling away.

As Heather grabbed her textbook and closed her locker, she walked through the hallways quickly and eventually to the doors leading to the quad. Her head whipped around, hopefully to find Henry. Soon enough, she became irritated. He was no where in sight. Heather sighed, having a want to give up but simultaneously feeling lame for giving up so soon. Not even Jasper or Charlotte were around, which made Heather agitated. _Did they really hate me_ _that_ _much?_

She picked up her pace in walking and becoming preoccupied with finding them, she bumped into a slightly shorter figure, who almost as instinct grabbed her shoulder to hopefully prevent the both from tripping. Heather audibly gasped, eyes dilating.

"Oh, God!" Heather yelped, shaking her head. "I'm _so_ sorry for bumping into you, it was my-"

"It's fine," the seemingly familiar voice responded with assurance. Heather snapped up, and faced the person.

It was Charlotte.

At instant a surplus of thoughts arose. _She hates me too, obviously._

 _Wait._

 _But.. she didn't sound like it._

 _Waaiiit._

"Uh- yeah, ok," the blonde spoke, attempting to mask her voice as neutral. The curly-haired girl had a small smile on her face in response, and Heather raised a brow.

She shook her head, denying her thoughts of _She really doesn't hate you!._ "Why are you smiling?" Heather asked, faking irritation.

Initially, Charlotte did not respond. It annoyed Heather. She did speak eventually, replying, "Is it a problem if I smile?"

Heather was absolutely dumbfounded. _Is this manipulation..?_

Charlotte understood right after the whole situation. Heather was suspicious of her "objectives". She hoped the blonde wasn't too stubborn to hear what her position was pertaining to the events that occurred for several days.

"Look," the curly-haired girl murmured, whipping her head around to see if Henry or Jasper were around, or others such as Melissa. She decided that it was likely that they'd eventually tread around here, so Charlotte snatched Heather's arm and nearly dragged her to the tree at the near corner of the school, where less students were around. It was good enough.

The blonde's brows were knitted in confusion, but quickly changed.

..

"I believe you."

..

 _What._

 _Did- did she-?_

 _Nononononono. Charlotte Bolton, did you really just-_

 _Waitwaitwait_ _What?_

..

Heather sputtered, arms going limp. The curly-haired girl chuckled, seeing the blonde unconditionally dumbstruck.

"I really do, if you're wondering," Charlotte continued. "I- it was quite obvious that you _wouldn't_ do it on purpose, now would you?"

The blonde shook her head, still unable to speak coherently.

"Yeah. So Henry and Jasper are pretty stubborn, and _stupid_ , for believing Melissa, which means it's gonna take them a while to believe the same as I."

Almost as instinct, Heather hugged her rather tightly. The breath escaped from Charlotte momentarily, but she returned the hug. The blonde let go, a wide grin on her face.

"You don't even know how _relieved_ I am to hear that," Heather spoke, her grin not escaping. "I've lived in utter _death_ knowing you all probably don't believe me, but now I know that you do. _Thank you_."

Charlotte grinned. "No problem, Heath."

The two girls stood in awkward silence, Heather barely able to contain her excitement, which amused Charlotte dearly.

And as the bell rang for class to begin, the blonde and the curly-haired girl walked side by side, updating both on events, laughing, ranting, like the usual. Heather missed this dynamic with Charlie- he was a lot like Charlotte. He hated drama, absolutely. It was nice to have Charlotte around who kept her right at home.

"You know, I felt really guilty about what I said about Jasper," Heather told the curly-haired girl. "I didn't realize that he'd eventually find out and that it'd hurt him. I'm _really_ guilty."

"Don't be," Charlotte assured her. "I know Melissa must've set you up somehow."

Heather nodded. "She really does hate me. Now I have Henry and Jasper in the same position as her."

The curly-haired girl's brows knitted together. "They're gonna be stubborn and not believe you like I did."

"I understand that. But.. I really miss being with them. It _really_ hurts that they don't think I'm trustworthy."

Charlotte hoped Henry and Jasper didn't find out about this too soon. She and Heather would be in the utmost _screwed_.

* * *

Days passed, and the curly-haired girl believed she did a fairly decent job separating herself from Henry and Jasper to Heather from time to time. The blond nor the curly-haired boy were suspicious, _yet_ , but Charlotte believed to just cherish the time she had at the moment before Henry found out and had an increased want to scream at her. Heather enjoyed Charlotte spending time with her, it made events _much_ more eventful.

Although, after that amount of days, the obliviousness abruptly stopped. The blond boy began to ask Charlotte where she went, although she excused herself as going to the LIMP. Even as they didn't have meets everyday, she just told him that to hopefully prevent him from prying any longer. Eventually, it didn't work.

"Are you really going to LIMP?" Henry asked Charlotte at one point as they headed to class. "I heard they don't have meets everyday. Only 2 days a week."

"Uh- they asked me to go everyday," she spoke hastily.

"They don't do that."

 _Darn his observation._

"Wh-whatever..!" Charlotte pipes up, before treading away as far as possible from Henry, who raised a brow in confusion.

"Charlotte, we have to go.. to.. class..?" Henry called out to her, who blatantly just ignored him out of supposed fear.

..

Soon enough, he followed her around. She noticed, and became more anxious.

Hiding behind shrubs, lockers, _people_. He strained his neck hopefully to find evidence pertaining Charlotte's whereabouts. Luckily for her, Heather was never around when he did so. When talking to another friend, she found Henry attempting to hide behind Oreste, who was reading a book. The blond peered behind the boy's shoulder, whose brows furrowed in irritation.

"What the heck are you doing?" Oreste asked, whipping his head to Henry.

"Something," Henry spoke, and shushed when the boy attempted to retort.

Charlotte whipped her head to Oreste and Henry's direction, and the blond boy instantly crouched down, hoping the curly-haired girl didn't notice. She did.

Well, since his legs could be seen behind the older's boy's legs. Wasn't that hard for Charlotte to discover.

She walked away eventually, sensing that Henry was _cautiously_ following after her footsteps.

..

By this time, Charlotte was intensely paranoid. When talking to Heather, her eyes became more evident to her surroundings, hopefully to not see the familiar blond poking in her business. She did, earlier, explain to Heather, who became worried. The curly-haired girl wished she hadn't mentioned it to the blonde.

"What- what if he finds out?" she questioned with an anxious tone.

"I promise, I'll make sure he doesn't."

Heather's brows knitted. "Are you sure?"

Charlotte nodded. "I really am. What kind of friend would I be?"

"A Henry."

The blonde and the curly-haired girl giggled.

Entwining her fingers, she grinned up at Heather. "I was thinking.. do you want to go to my house today, if you want?"

Heather's eyes glinted ecstasy. "Of course I do!"

"Is your mom fine with it?" Charlotte asked, raising a brow.

"Well.." Heather trailed off. "I'll ask her, but I can assume that she'll be fine with it."

Charlotte shrugged nonchalantly. "Alright then." And the two went off about other topics, avoiding Henry as much as possible.

Later, as school ended, Henry hastily walked out of the building and squatted behind the shrubs, straining his head once in a while to seek the curly-haired girl. He was immensely suspicious; Henry elaborated about it to Jasper, who was perplexed about it as well. The blond was nearly desperate to discover what was Charlotte doing.. or hiding.

Henry's brows furrowed. _Charlotte's keeping a secret? It really isn't like her to do so._

 _What is it?_

He ignored the question, attempting to find her. Albeit, Henry only saw the people he _didn't_ want to see. The blond began to be agitated, fist clenching. What was Charlotte hiding? What was it that she didn't want Jasper or I to know? Who or what did it involve?

Who..?

After a kid asked him why he was at the bushes, Henry gave up. He shot up, and exited the school. Walking home, disappointed, he was left busy in his thoughts.

 _I need to know. Now._

Hands in his pocket, he sauntered down the sidewalk that led to his house. Mostly empty, he enjoyed it. Henry was too preoccupied with Charlotte that he didn't necessarily bother with anyone else at the moment. The blond remembered that to get to his house, he had to pass Charlotte's. He thought that she might've been home by now; he could quickly stop by and ask her. Eventually, he reached the street that led to Charlotte's home. Henry was already mentally preparing the questions he was going to ask her. For example, _What are you hiding from Jasper and I? And why?_

As he reached the corner, he heard speaking. Henry observed it was between two people, voices sounded young, must be classmates. A laugh was then heard, which Henry recognized oh so dearly. _Charlotte._

The blond creeped behind the fence, and found Charlotte talking to a person who didn't appear in Henry's view, initially. He realized the only way to see the person who was talking tot he curly-haired girl was to get closer, and he'd get caught for sure. But he was already aware that Charlotte was observant as well; she probably already knew that he was nearly stalking her. Henry then decided to take the risk, snapping up and moving closer. Charlotte turned to the blonde figure, and they were both laughing.

Henry hadn't seen that blonde before, he thought. Although, he froze in his stance, recognizing the backpack.

..

" _Heather?_ " he sputtered, speaking his thoughts. Heather as well froze in her spot, eyeing Charlotte, who was just as startled as the blonde. She sighed heavily, and they both turned around.

"H-Henry!" Charlotte piped, gasping. "I- I didn't see you there..!"

Henry instantaneously became infuriated. "You're hanging out with _Heather? This_ is the secret?"

Charlotte treaded towards him, shaking her head. "Henry- it's not like that-"

"You!" Henry exclaimed, pointing at Heather, who was just about done. "When did _you_ get here?"

"Henry, _stop,"_ Charlotte pleaded, trying to prevent him from advancing to Heather, though to no avail.

"That's none of _your_ business," Heather spat, glaring.

The blond let out a dry chuckle. " _None of my business_ , it most definitely is. My best friend leaves us for a _liar?_ "

The curly-haired girl stomped her foot. "Henry, she's _not_ a liar!" She exclaimed, already irritated. Henry only gave her a look of disbelief.

"Look what you do!" the blond boy spoke to Heather, who was just as irritated. "Tricking people into thinking you're innocent-"

" _Stop!_ " Charlotte nearly yelled at Henry, who whipped his head, and nearly instantly backed off. "I- sorry.."

"You're coming with me," the blond responded, snatching her arm. Charlotte attempted to let go of his grasp, although she noticed he was rather strong and she was practically doing it for no reason. Heather attempted to intervene, pulling Charlotte away from him, but Henry hissed at her and slapped her arms away. "Heather, go home. No one wants you here."

The curly-haired girl stomped on his foot, and Henry growled. "Henry, _shut up_."

"Follow her advice, Hart," Heather called out to him, folding her arms across her chest.

"Follow _my_ advice, Charleston."

Charlotte wriggled in his grasp, but he still dragged her away. She turned to Heather, who was infuriated but understood that Charlotte felt the same way. Heather hesitantly waved, knowing that if she tried to stop Henry again she knew she wasn't following her initial objectives. The blonde only watched the blond boy take the curly-haired girl away, the only person who believed her.

* * *

"Henry, I _can't_ believe you!"

"I can't believe _you_ too!"

Henry brought her to the Man Cave, to Charlotte's confusion, although she knew that it must be for some dumb reason to confront her further. The blond grasp on her arm was still tight, which annoyed her. Charlotte thrashed the entire time, even though it wouldn't do much. As the elevator descended, and the doors opened, Henry pulled her through and both found Ray splayed across the couch with music playing in the background. The curly-haired girl couldn't _wait_ for what was going to occur.

"Ray!" Henry called out to the brunette man, who got startled and shot up from the couch.

The brunette shuffled to turn the music off. "Henry, what is it? And why are you dragging Charlotte around?"

"Because _Charlotte_ is a liar," the blond responded, whipping his head to the girl, who rolled her eyes.

"Ray, I'm not a liar like Henry says I am," Charlotte intervened.

Said person stood up and sauntered over to the two teens, arms crossed over his chest. He gave both an initial suspicious look before raising a brow.

" _Why_ is Charlotte a liar?" the brunette questioned Henry.

Henry sighed heavily. "Charlotte here, was hanging out with Heather behind mine and Jasper's backs. Even though she _knew_ what Heather did to Jasper days ago."

"Henry, you need to understand-"

The blond interrupted her, glaring daggers. "Understand _what?_ That I'm forced to cope being betrayed by my friends?"

"Well that's _exactly_ how Heather feels!"

..

The blond let go, the area where he held Charlotte's sweater-clad arm wrinkled and slightly formed with his hand. His frustration was still pent up. Henry shouldn't care about how Heather felt- she was untrustworthy.

"I don't care about how she feels," Henry retorted, although deep down a small pang of guilt arose, but he tried his very best to deplete it.

"You do," Ray spoke up, rolling his eyes. "It's painfully obvious."

Henry whipped his head to Ray, irritated. "I _don't!_ She's a liar, she's stupid, insensitive-"

"We _get_ it.." the brunette trailed off. "Fine. You _hate_ her. Don't elaborate and prevent us from being convinced."

Charlotte began to tread around, arms crossed. Her brows were furrowed, attempting to think of the ways she can explain the whole scenario to Henry and Ray and hopefully convince the stubborn blond. So far, hasn't been working too well.

"She hurt Jasper, along with _me_ ," the blond continued. "Now, Charlotte joined along."

" _Henry_ ," the curly-haired girl drawled. "Let me explain."

As he was about to interject, Ray spoke up, motioning a hand. "Let Charlotte explain her side." He shushed the boy who attempted to intervene.

The curly-haired girl took a deep breath. " _Thank you_ ," she spoke, nodding. "Anyways.."

..

" _You do believe that I didn't do any of that? Like what Melissa told you guys?" Heather asked, raising a brow._

" _Of course I don't," Charlotte assured. "I'm not stubborn like the other two guys."_

 _.._

" _I'm not that kind of person. I would_ _never_ _hurt anyone like that on purpose."_

 _.._

" _Does Henry even have the slightest clue? I never did it."_

 _.._

" _You know, my mom didn't want me to go to school. Because she thought I was gonna be rejected by you all again. Not entirely true."_

 _.._

" _No clue as to how Melissa got a voice recording of me. She must've recorded it under the table or she made someone else do it. I might know who it was.."_

 _.._

" _I just want Henry and Jasper to forgive me. And I want Melissa as far away from me as much as possible."_

 _.._

" _I'm so sorry."_

 _.._

As Charlotte finished, she eyed the blond and Ray who awkwardly stood in their stances. Henry stood almost neutral, but the curly-haired girl knew that he was thinking of something. Ray, on the other hand, did not hesitate to question.

"So Heather didn't _purposely_ mention it?" the brunette spoke, and she nodded. "It's reasonable. Henry, you have no right to be angry with her."

His nostrils flared. Seemed that he still _wasn't_ convinced, which made Charlotte upset. _What else would convince him?!_ Afterwards, he did sigh heavily.

..

"I'm sorry," he blurted, rubbing his eyes. Henry turned away from them, completely aghast. He wanted to escape from the world and slowly be emasculated by his own guilt, stubbornness, stupidity. "So, so, sorry."

Charlotte let out a breath of relief.

"You believe me.. and _Heather?_ "

Another heavy sigh.

"Fine!" Henry exclaimed, flailing his arms around. "Yes! Yes, I _so so_ do! Are you happy now? I'm _sorry!_ " He fell to his knees, guilt creeping up on him immensely. "I know- I'm so stupid for believing Melissa- I- Jasper's been my friend since _forever_ \- I'm sorry.."

"Calm down," the curly-haired girl spoke, sauntering over to him. "I understand what your reason was. But Ray had a point- you had no right."

"I _know_ ," he drawled, burying his face in his hands. "Don't remind me of my failure."

Ray headed over, and patted Henry on the shoulder. "It's fine, kid."

"Wait," Henry paused, snapping his head up. Charlotte raised a brow.

He groaned. "Will Heather forgive me?"

..

"If she believes you, knowing that you're really sincere about your apology-" Ray abruptly stopped once seeing the young girl's glare.

Charlotte shrugged nonchalantly. "She definitely will. She misses you and Jasper."

Henry nodded, before pausing again. " _Jasper_. What about him?"

Her shoulders drooped. "Right. Do you think it's time?"

"Personally, I think it might be too early to tell your bucket-loving friend," the brunette man intervened, putting his hands on his hips. Charlotte nodded in agreement.

"You could tell him later. _Or_ ," she spoke, raising a brow. "Heather could tell him. It might be more genuine if she says it." Henry muttered a simple _yes_.

"What if he doesn't believe her?" Ray questioned.

The blond had a sheepish look on his face. "He really should. Or at least, understand that Heather's telling him the truth now."

..

"Well, Jasper's gonna have to wait," Henry spoke, shrugging. "Maybe Heather doesn't."

"Henry, do you remember when she visited the shop earlier?" Ray questioned. Charlotte's eyes dilated.

"Heather went to the shop?"

The blond boy nodded. "When I _hated_ her. She came to buy some tools." The curly-haired girl nodded.

"I told her that she should leave before Henry tries to attack her any further.." the brunette trailed off. "And she went back to the shop across from us."

It was as if a light bulb lit up in Charlotte's mind. "Right! Her mom owns a shop."

Henry raised a brow. "Really?" he asked, and the curly-haired girl nodded.

"You could assume that she's there, then," Ray spoke, crossing his arms.

The blond stood up from his knees. "Can we go there, then?" he contributed. "So I can.. _apologize_."

Charlotte grinned; she hadn't done that around Henry in a while, or a genuine one. "Definitely."

..

Henry was, as much as he hated to admit, evidently tired of the drama. He was tired of believing lies. He was tired of initially losing his friends now deemed trustworthy. It contradicted what he really believed in. The blond was glad, for the first time in a while, that he can finally face the blonde without verbally reprimanding her for the "wrongdoings" she had done. It was nice to know.

* * *

 **The long awaited Chapter Eight. Holy gosh, I swear I'm not dead. I'm just busy. So Henry is now convinced (kinda)! I thought it'd be boring if Charlotte just re-explained all the stuff I'm sure you already knew (or observed) about Heather, so quotes were in place. Do you think the whole 'Henry is suspicious' part was rushed? I thought it was, a tad bit. I can't guarantee the next chapter will be as long, but it's better than nothing. Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome!**


	9. An Apology Comes at a Cost

**Opposites But Not**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own the show, characters, excluding Rey and Heather. I only own the plot!

Hey! I didn't update for months! You can all have a grudge and look upon me in disdain!

To be honest, I still love to work on this story. As of now, I'm on break, so I'm able to work on this.

If y'all have been caught up on the show, we're already in season 3. To clarify, this story is set during season 2 so everything after that season will not happen.

* * *

Before they left, Charlotte and Henry had a heated but not too vicious argument pertaining to what he was supposed to tell Heather. The blond boy attempted to think of a sentence starter that wasn't too offensive (not on purpose, of course) or too awkward. At the moment, nothing came to mind _except_ that.

"How about _I'm sorry_?" Ray intervened, glaring at the two. He stood impatiently near the door, wanting Henry to get the apology done with.

"Too plain," Henry replied, shrugging. "I need something that will _really_ make her forgive me."

"That's why you say _I'm sorry for doubting you_ ," Charlotte suggested.

The blond grimaced. "That's too cliché." At that, the curly-haired girl nodded. "You're not wrong," she stated.

Ray rolled his eyes. "Just tell her a quick apology and hear her response, then we go."

Charlotte raised a brow. "Why are you so persistent?"

"Because _Henry's_ taking a long time to think of a stupid sentence!"

Henry stomped his foot. "Do you want me to be mad all the time?"

The brunette man shrugged. "It's entertaining to watch." The blond glared at him, and Ray turned away, pretending that he hadn't said anything.

"If she forgives me, then all this drama won't happen anymore."

Ray crossed his arms over his chest, before a thought appeared in his head. "What about Jasper? Shouldn't he know about this too?"

..

"Darn!" Henry yelped, stomping his foot again. "We gotta tell Jasper."

Charlotte grasped the edge of the table in the middle of the room, her grip on it tightening. "Right. When do we tell him, though?"

"Tell him _after_ we go to Heather's," Ray pitched in, and the curly-haired girl raised a brow at that.

"Is it too soon?" the blond questioned.

The brunette sighed heavily. "It's been days, Henry. I think it's time he'd know the truth."

"Problem is, I only learned about this _today!_ "

"So?" Charlotte asked Henry. "That shouldn't stop you from telling him." Ray nodded at her statement.

Ray gestured to the door exasperatedly. "Then _let's go_."

The curly-haired girl sauntered over to the steps, looking over at the blond who still stood near the counter with hesitation. The brunette groaned, descending down the stairs and grabbed Henry's arm. Henry yelped, attempting to anchor his feet to the floor, although to no avail. When Ray reached the stairs again, he dragged Henry up as if he was a rag doll, evident irritation on the boy's face. Charlotte watched in amusement, and she held open the door for them as they exit the building to head to Clothes Landing.

* * *

"I still think he didn't die."

"Come on, how could he have survived that earthquake? Barely anyone survived in the show."

"Except him. Plot convenience, of course," Heather reasons. Rey nods, accepting her statement. They both sat Indian style in their living area, sharing a bowl of popcorn on the floor as they continued to talk about various topics. Going from shows on TV, movies, events, indirectly mentioning Henry on Heather's behalf, boys, and back to TV shows. So diverse.

A beeping sound was heard, and the brunette woman turned her head to the screens. She was able to get surveillance installed, not that it was that necessary. From where she sat, she could see a young girl with curly hair, a blond boy, and a brunette man. Rey stood up from her position, sauntering over to the panel and closely watched the three walk in the shop. Heather did the same, watching Henry, Charlotte, and Ray enter Clothes Landing. She raised a brow- what were they doing here? The blonde froze in her stance, realizing that the brunette woman hasn't met them yet, and that she might make a big deal regarding the recent incident.

"Uh.." Heather began. "I'll- I'll go downstairs and check on th- the customers!"

Rey shook her head. "No, it's fine. I'll go."

"No!" the blonde yelped, and Rey gave off a perplexed look. "I mean- uh-"

"Heather, it's ok. You can stay here if you want. I'm not going to force you to go."

She knew that she wouldn't be able to get her way at this point. Heather had to suffer through this. "Alright." And the brunette woman nodded, heading to the exit of the second floor, to the stairs. Heather watched her, chewing on her lip nervously. She mentally calmed herself. _It'll be ok. It's not like Rey will try to verbally kill them._

 _Right?_

* * *

"So, it's just clothes," Ray stated, looking around the store with a lack of enthusiasm.

"Well, it's called _Clothes Landing_ for a reason, Ray," Henry replied, rolling his eyes.

He sighed. "Other than the colorful walls, nothing else is really anything to look at twice."

The blond boy lightly slapped Ray's arm. "Will you stop? Don't be mean- what if Heather can hear you? She won't forgive me."

Ray groaned again. "Come on, she should be aware that there's nothing in her shop that's interesting. Constructive criticism."

"Most of the products in Junk N' Stuff is weird, Ray. The customers know, they don't mention it," Henry states.

"So customers here know that this shop is pretty basic, but they don't tell Heather," Charlotte continues for him. "Besides, Henry's right. She'll probably get offended that you're saying that."

Henry nodded. "At least Charlotte gets it."

Charlotte leaned against a table with folded shirts, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeah, probably." At that, Henry stared at her blankly.

Few minutes have passed, with the three standing in the shop awkwardly. Ray started to whistle, hands in his pockets. Henry rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. The curly-haired girl craned her head around, eyeing her surroundings to look for Heather, or even her mother. Soon enough, the faint sound of footsteps was heard from the back of the room, and the three turned their heads to the door. Charlotte's eyed widened, seeing the shadow of a tall female, and soon enough an actual woman that walked into the room. The brunette woman was initially startled, observing the bunch, but she then shrugged.

"Uh, hello," Rey spoke with a friendly tone, putting her hands on her hips. The brunette man stared at her with a dazed look, absolutely entranced by her. She smiled and winked at him, and he was about to melt right where he was. Henry and Charlotte eyed the two with confusion and slight disgust.

"Um.." The blond and the curly-haired girl started in unison, still eyeing the strangely similar adults.

Ray straightened his posture, clearing his throat. "Hello, beautiful, gorgeous, physically attractive woman-"

" _Ray_ ," Henry scolded, rolling his eyes. The brunette glared at the boy, before turning back to Ray.

"Well, _hello_ ," The brunette woman replied in a purposely sultry voice, and Henry choked. Charlotte intervened between the two, raising her arms to signalize a pause. "Ok, ok. Stop it, you two weirdos." Rey shot her a disgruntled look.

The brunette woman shook her head, transitioning back to her _normal_ self, smirking. "What can I help you with?"

"Do you know anyone by the name Heather Charleston, by any chance?" Henry asked, raising a brow. That smirk plastered on Rey's face fell, her groomed brows furrowed.

 _Blond hair, 14, kind of tall, confident yet.. worried posture.._

 _Henry!_

" _No_ , I don't," Rey retorted, now glaring at Henry. He was confused. Why was she suddenly upset at the question?

 _What is he doing here? Heather doesn't want to see him. She hates him. He never believed her. He's the epitome of betrayal here. Henry shouldn't be here. He needs to leave. Now._

"Ar-are you sure?" the blond asked the woman. "I'm pretty sure you're Heather's _mom_. Now, what kind of mother doesn't know her own child?"

Charlotte stomped over to Henry, slapping his arm. Ray whipped his head to the blond boy, giving him a scolding look. Henry only shrugged nonchalantly.

" _Excuse me?_ "

Ray _accidentally_ pushed Henry back behind Charlotte, where the boy nearly fell on top of the curly-haired girl. He now faced Rey, smiling.

"Uh- he.. _didn't.._ mean that."

She raised a brow, not convinced. "Uh huh. And _he_ might be _Henry Hart_ , right?"

Henry was startled by her question. _How did she know?_

 _Oh, right. Heather._

"Well, yeah," Henry replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm him." Ray turned back to Henry, now confused, wondering where this would lead to.

Rey's nostrils flared, attempting to hold refrain from her anger being spewed out and onto him verbally. She failed for the most part.

"It-It's _you!_ " the brunette woman yelped, pointing a finger of accusation at the boy. "You're the one who-who hurt _Heather!_ "

Henry pumped a fist in the air, making a face of victory. " _Yes!_ " he yelled, pointing a finger back at her. "So you _do_ know Heather Charleston!"

"Of course I do, I'm her mother!"

It was Ray who spoke this time. "So, why didn't you say that the _first time_?"

..

 _Darn this handsome man's question. I was hoping to avoid that_

"Well.." Rey began, a sheepish look plastered on her face. After a brief, yet awkward pause, Rey continued, changing the subject. "You're not denying that you hurt her! Stupid boy!"

Charlotte and Ray's eyes locked, jaws slack. Henry's frustration was rising at her words, hoping to get his own out before he continued to insult him.

"Wait-! Mrs. Heather's mom, I-!"

"I'm _not_ married, don't call me a Mrs.! Yet!" she retorted, and Henry's face had confusion written all over it.

The curly-haired girl intervened again, sighing exasperatedly. "Mrs. Charleston, Henry wants to apologize to Heather!"

She scoffed. "Like I'd believe that. Do you plan to hurt her again, boy?"

Henry shook his head, mouthing _No_ to her.

Rey took in a heavy breath, rubbing her temples. _This is quite overwhelming. I don't know whether to trust him, his friend, or this handsome man._

..

Footsteps were heard again, and Henry, Charlotte, Rey, and Ray all turned to the back door to find a blonde girl saunter through it. She could hear the hubbub from upstairs and her face was enough to tell them that she was confused by it. Heather's eyes immediately set on Henry, and her breath hitched. Brows furrowed, eyes hardened as the two blondes stared. Her face turned sheepish, and so did his.

"Heather," Ray spoke. "Thank goodness you're here, your mom was about to yell at Henry."

Rey whipped her head back to the brunette accusingly. "I was _not!_ "

"No offense, but you looked like you were going to," Charlotte stated, crossing her arms over her chest. Rey nodded in agreement, shrugging.

"Okay, okay," Heather started, putting her hands up to signal a stop. "What's going on?"

"Heather, listen," Henry began to speak to her, walking to the girl. Initially, she stepped back, not ready for whatever he was going to do or say, but Heather realized from his body language and facial expression that he genuinely didn't want to harm her. Hopefully.

"I came here.. to apologize."

..

 _Apologize._

 _He wants to apologize?_

 _That's rich. Really funny. Considering that you_ _just_ _wanted to wrestle me back at your shop, and you also believed that arrogant girl Melissa and not me, who, trying not to sound conceited and all, is way more trustworthy than her!_

 _You know, maybe I should be lenient with him. Maybe he actually wants to apologize._

Heather brushed off that thought.

 _Hah! Yeah right! He hurt you. What other evidence do you have that he wants to apologize_ _now?_

 _Maybe he's manipulating you!_

Heather internally screamed at her thoughts.

 _Gah! Shut up, brain! Something tells me he really wants to.._

She snapped out of her thoughts.

"You want to apologize.. to me?" she asked, her mouth suddenly going dry. Henry nodded, his head then bowed for a bit and it rose again.

"Yes.." the blond boy stressed, holding her shoulders with a tough but gentle grip. "Listen, I want you to know that I am _so,_ _so_ _, sorry_ for the way I've treated you for weeks, ever since the whole Jasper and Melissa incident."

"But.." Heather began, but turned her head to Charlotte. "How do you know it wasn't me?" Henry also turned his head to the curly-haired girl who gave off a _I told you so_ aura.

"I explained _everything_ to him," she spoke. "He didn't believe me at first, but as I told him all the details, everything started to unfold."

Heather nodded. "I understand."

"Jasper's been my best friend since we were really young," the blond boy continued. "I've been very protective of him, and when Melissa lied to make it look like you hurt him, I was so blinded by her deceitfulness that I never realized that you were right the whole time. I ended up hurting you, and strained all of our relationships with each other, not only us, but also with Charlotte and Jasper."

" _Henry_ ," Heather spoke, gripping his shoulder and locking eyes with him. "Don't blame this on yourself. If anything, it was definitely _Mel_ 's fault for breaking the trust we had with each other." He nodded, and Ray, Charlotte, and Rey did as well.

"But- Heather, I put you in danger. If I didn't find out any sooner, I could've done worse to you."

"Well, you did say you _wanted_ to do worse to her," Charlotte stated monotonously, and Henry glared at her as Heather raised a brow at her statement.

"That was when I was _angry_ with Heather. But.. now I'm not."

Henry shook his head. "Now, I'm just asking this from you, Heather. Please forgive me, for everything I've done and said to you. Let's forget that this ever happened and put it all behind us. Okay?"

 _That was.. moving._

 _He definitely is a good person. When he's not mad. At me._

"I.."

"What do you say?" the curly-haired girl asked Heather. "Do you forgive Henry or not?"

"Yeah, please say your answer," Ray complained, groaning. "I wanna go back now." At that, Charlotte whipped her head at the man and glared, and he stepped back.

Heather's brows furrowed further, contemplating. After another pause, she spoke.

"I forgive you, Henry."

..

"Yes!" Charlotte and Ray cheered in unison. Rey smiled at the two, knowing that there, the drama between them was officially over.

Except..

Henry had a big grin plastered on his face, his grip on Heather a bit tighter. The blonde smiled right back at him, flashing her teeth. They both laughed, and for gratitude, Henry stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her. Heather embraced him, enjoying the _small_ moment she had with him.

Soon enough, a rush of energy flowed between them and-

"Ah!"

"Wha-?"

They both yelped, and jumped away from each other, having equally confused faces. The other three stopped chatting and stared at the two blonds, now wondering what the heck just happened.

"Did you see that?"

"There- there was a spark between us!"

Rey and Ray turned to each other, raising brows. "Do you know what just happened?" the man asked her.

"No clue. But.. I don't know if it's supposed to be a good thing or not," she replied.

"Henry, Heather.." Charlotte began, eyes turning to each of them. "What happened?"

They both shrugged simultaneously. "I have _no_ idea," Heather breathed out, still feeling a light surge of electricity through her. _What_ _did_ _just happen between them? And why?_

"It happened when we hugged.." Henry suggested. "But why was it _only_ when we hugged? I was in contact with her before, I put my hands on her shoulder, and she did the same to me."

Ray squinted at Heather and Rey. He felt like something was going wrong, albeit he didn't know _what_.

"Listen," the brunette man began, holding Rey's arm and locking eyes with her. "What did your daughter do?"

Rey furrowed her brows. "I actually don't know. Don't ask me." She didn't mean to sound so snarky, but it made Ray more suspicious.

"Don't talk to me like that."

"I'll do that if I wish."

" _Excuse me?_ I don't like rude women."

Heather glared at Ray. "Hey! Be quiet, old man. Don't talk to my mom like that."

Ray ignored the blonde girl, and only paid attention to Rey. "I'm pretty sure you know something. What happened between Henry and Heather."

" _No_ , I don't. Stop asking me!" she retorted, now getting irritated.

"Stop avoiding this question!" the brunette man nearly yelped. " _What happened?!_ "

"Oh my God, _stop asking me this stupid question._ " Rey was definitely at the brink of anger, and Heather, Henry, and Charlotte could tell.

Heather stepped away from Henry and grabbed Ray by the arm, and she looked up at him, immensely annoyed. "She doesn't want to answer! And you wanna know why?! Because _she doesn't know what happened!_ Are you trying to accuse her of something?"

The brunette man stared down, aghast. "Accuse your mom of knowing that you could've hurt Henry but refuse to admit it? _No!_ "

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Obviously, she doesn't know. Even I don't know how it happened. And you're making her uncomfortable, stop."

At that, Ray immediately stopped, and stepped away from Rey, putting his hands up to signalize surrender and _I'll stop accusing you_. Heather nodded promptly, and turned back to the group.

"Look. Whatever just happened, probably shouldn't be something to lose sleep over. Lets forget that it ever happened."

Out of the blue, Henry hugged her again. This time, the spark was worse and Heather refrained from yelling out.

" _Why did you hug me again?!_ "

"I wanted to see if it wasn't a one-time thing."

"Well, you got your answer _now_." She drawled, rubbing her arms.

"Maybe it's punishment for forgiving her," Ray retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. Henry brushed off the stupid comment, but because they're in Swellview, and he's been working with Captain Man, he's not new to this kind of stuff.

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Ray, that can't happen." He only glared.

"Do you think it happens only when we hug, or we make that kind of contact?" Henry suggested, turning to Heather, and her eyes twinkled in consideration.

"Probably. But, _why_ would it happen?"

Everyone else shrugged.

Heather took in heavy breath. "This shouldn't be too much of a deal. Henry and I get electrocuted when we hug. Nothing big." Rey stared at her, dumbfounded. _That's_ not a big deal to her?

"Besides, we should worry on more important stuff," Heather continued. Charlotte raised a brow.

"Like confronting Melissa about her dumb lies?" the curly-haired girl suggested.

" _Actually,_ I didn't think of that first, but I'll add that to the list," the blonde girl replied. "I meant like telling Jasper."

Henry's eyes widened at the suggestion. "Right! We planned to do that _after_ you apologized and forgave me."

"Oh, so you assumed that I'd forgive you?" Heather asked, a playful glint in her eye. Henry shrugged, smirking.

"Well, I'd prefer if you did," Henry replied.

"And what if I didn't?"

Ray spoke up. "Then we'd stay here longer because _Henry, here,_ would be on his knees crying and begging for your forgiveness."

Henry glared at the man, and Heather giggled as Charlotte smirked. "Aw," she cooed. "How sweet of you, Hart."

"Yeah.." the blond boy muttered, glaring daggers at Ray as he smiled back at him.

"Anyways," Heather continued, going back to her original subject. "I hope you guys tell Jasper soon. He seriously needs to know the truth. I miss talking to him."

At that last sentence, Henry and Charlotte shared a look, one that Heather couldn't identify very well, but it spoke volume.

* * *

"Should we invite Jasper over tomorrow to tell him?"

"That'd be best. Over phone, I don't think he'd believe you."

"True, true. But even in person, looks can deceive."

Charlotte put a hand up, raising a brow at Henry.

"Were you really sincere in your apology?" she asked, suspicious. Henry glared at her.

"Of course I was! Unless you think this face-" Henry paused to show her his neutral, yet upset and pitiful face. "-isn't trustworthy!"

The curly-haired girl paused, a sheepish look on her face. He mocking gasped.

"Okay! I was genuine! That statement didn't apply to me, Char!"

" _Mhm."_

Henry groaned. Charlotte snickered.

"I was kidding, _duh_. I knew you meant it."

"Thanks," he spoke, annoyance edging in his voice.

"You're welcome, _Henry_ ," Charlotte drawled, smirking at his face.

Henry, Charlotte, and Ray were back at the Man Cave. Ray went off to where ever, and the two teens sat on the couch in the main area. Charlotte's legs were propped upon the table provided, and Henry slouched in his seat. The blond boy felt like he had a heavy weight of obliviousness had been lifted off when he apologized to Heather. He never acknowledged said weight, but it was there and it ached. He felt a lot better after it, knowing that he and Heather were on good terms now. Charlotte and Heather were alright before, so they'd only have to tell Jasper now. If he'd bother to listen. Henry's hoping that he does.

Sitting in silence for a few, Ray sauntered into the room, irritation etched on his face. Charlotte was the first one to notice.

"Ray, what's wrong?" she asked.

Initially, he shook his head, eyes set on the floor. But Henry's and Charlotte's seemingly incessant stare annoyed him more.

"Rey and Heather. Also, I'm pretty sure _Rey_ is a male name."

"Actually," Charlotte spoke up. "It's for both genders." Ray scoffed.

"It's cooler for a guy." Henry ignored that, he wanted an explanation to Ray's first statement.

"What's wrong with Heather and her mom?"

"That's the thing," Ray continued, furrowing his brows. "There's something.. _off_.. about them. But, _darnit,_ I don't know why!"

Henry rolled his eyes. "Heather has gone over this with you. Her mom doesn't know why that electricity thing happened between Heather and I."

The brunette shook his head at that. "It's not only that, but especially Heather." Charlotte perked up at that, wondering what Ray was going at.

"I feel like she's not trustworthy."

..

Henry actually had to restrain from slapping him upside the head.

" _Come on, Ray!_ " the blond boy stated. "That was _literally_ the problem we had! And we resolved it, but _no,_ you now think that she's evil or something!"

"Okay, I didn't have _evil_ in mind," Ray began, eyeing Henry. "But I'm just warning you."

"Of what?!" Henry asked, raising his brows. "I can assure you, there's _nothing_ wrong with Heather and her mom!"

"Just.. just stay away from them, Henry. You too, Charlotte."

Charlotte stood up from her seat, perplexed. "Hold up, we just got Henry and Heather to become friends again. Why do you want them separated all of a sudden?!" Henry gestured to her, as she elaborated on his point.

"Exactly! Heather's harmless! I know there's nothing going on from her and her mom. If there was, they would've told us."

"Untrustworthy people don't _tell_ you their secrets, they lead you to find out yourself!"

The blond boy groaned. "They're _trustworthy!_ "

"Well, then. Prove that!"

Henry was still trying to not slap Ray.

" _We were just at the shop._ They were just as trustworthy as Charlotte and I think!"

She was startled at this. "Leave me out of this."

"What, are you siding with Ray?"

"I'm staying neutral."

Henry and Ray shrugged at her comment, before turning back to each other.

"Ray, they're not bad. Believe me, please."

Said person sighed heavily. "Okay, okay. Whatever you say. But, let's say you find out something from them. Like, _a secret_. That they weren't supposed to tell anyone but somehow it got out, but then it all becomes a mess between all of you. Again."

Henry only scoffed at his comment. "I don't think they're hiding anything, especially Heather. She would've come clean to me. I just _know_ she's that type of person."

..

Heather looked out of her bedroom window, staring at the night sky, entranced by the darkness yet the contrasting small light that were the stars.

 _They still can't know about it. Even if I've rekindled my friendship with Henry. I'm not letting Girl Danger come into the equation, no matter how close we are. I don't need anymore problems._

* * *

 **Hi! I'm on break, so I decided to upload this long-awaited chapter! Thanks for all the reviews you guys have given me on this story. Obviously it's still a work-in-progress, but soon enough the actual plot will unfold, leading to more drama and all that jazz, heh. Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome!**


	10. At Peace

**Opposites But Not**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own the show, characters, excluding Rey and Heather. I only own the plot!

If any of you have noticed, my chapters tend to end with something "dramatic" or _oh my goodness blah blah blah trying to sound all cool and mysterious khaleesi-chan that's so cliché and overrated stop_

It's fun for me to write, and usually I have nothing else to end them with. Hopefully sometime they'll end in something more joyful and less.. trite. oops

* * *

It was when the three teens arrived to school, an aura of camaraderie between them. Other students noticed, and were astonished to find the blond boy and the blonde girl communicating in a positive way, without any insults or advances to try to punch the other. Charlotte was grinning smugly; she was glad Henry and Heather settled out their differences. Now, it was only confronting Melissa and explaining the truth to Jasper that was ahead of them. Henry and Heather stood close as they sauntered into the hallway, the occasional laughter and smiles that were exchanged between the two. The curly-haired girl noticed the charisma radiating off of them, and it was a bit strange for her to see the boy so merry. It was a change, compared to the previous weeks where he'd sulk around and complain about the girl. Now, it's alright.

Two people who seemed to _talk_ about it the most were Davide and Oreste. And it was Charlotte that noticed, as their facial expressions were different from the other kids, whom she barely even knew that well. The two boys whispered hastily in Italian, eyeing Henry and Heather. The curly-haired girl rolled her eyes, and stomped over to them. Henry nor Heather noticed that Charlotte had walked away.

"Hey! You two," Charlotte spoke up, crossing her arms over her chest as she stood in front of the taller boys. "What are you two talking about?"

" _Lei sa?_ / _Does she know?_ " Davide whispered to his friend in a confused tone.

" _Lei è molto intelligente.._ / She is very smart.." Oreste replied, shaking his head slightly. " _Charlotte ci ha visto?_ / Charlotte saw us?" At that, Davide nodded. The curly-haired girl rolled her eyes.

"I can hear you two," she muttered. "Even if I can't understand Italian, you said my name so I know you're talking about me."

Oreste groaned. "Whatever, okay. Yes, we are. Like _everyone else_."

"But what _exactly_ were you saying about Henry and Heather?" Charlotte questioned.

Davide stood closer to Charlotte, a playful smirk on his face. "We want to know how they became friends again. What _manipulative force_ drove them away, and what weirdo brought them back as friends."

"Manipulative force?" Oreste whipped his head to his friend. "You're stupid, we all know _who_ it is," he jeered at him, and Davide kicked him in the shin.

As his friend grabbed his shin in pain, Davide continued. "I don't know, it's just weird that they suddenly got on good terms with each other after all the arguments with Melissa and her dumb girl-friends. Where are they, anyways?"

With the mention of Melissa, Charlotte's breath hitched. She suddenly became nauseous, in no mood to talk about her.

"I don't know. Why would I know?" the curly-haired girl asked, shrugging as anxiety crept up behind her.

"Well," the brunette boy with the hurt shin spoke. "Since you all know her, we would've assumed that you'd know her whereabouts."

"But you're better off _not_ knowing. It's a lot more peaceful when she's not here."

Charlotte smirked at that. "Honestly. She was a pain."

Both Davide and Oreste whipped their heads at the short curly-haired girl. "You don't like Melissa?!"

She turned back to Henry and Heather, who were conversing next to their lockers, and back to the boys. "We all don't."

"B-but with Heather-"

"She, along with the twin girls, took advantage of Heather's friendship with us to strain our relationships with each other."

As soon as Charlotte said that, both boys fumbled their hands in their pockets, and grabbed out numerous dollar bills. They both casually handed them to each other, nodding and smirking. Charlotte only watched in utmost confusion, eyeing the 10s in their hands.

"What.. was that for..?"

"We made a bet."

Charlotte would've assumed that she rolled her eyes far back enough in her head.

" _Why_ would you do that..?"

They only shared a look, and the curly-haired girl knew only by their eyes.

"Like, half the school made a bet that Melissa used Heather. We knew."

She stomped her foot. "I can't believe it! You all decided to meddle into something a bit _personal_ just to gain profit?!"

Davide shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, pretty much."

Charlotte had to restrain from face palming. Or slapping the boys. Or confronting everyone else about it.

"Alright, okay, whatever floats all of your boats. But if this were to happen again, which I hope _doesn't_ , _don't bet on anything_."

"Got it, Charlotte," they both spoke to her in unison, smirking at her. Charlotte snickered, sauntering back over to Henry and Heather, where she could hear them discussing some movie.

"-and then, that robot invaded the family's home, and destroyed all of their property! Except the family," Henry spoke enthusiastically.

"You'd expect it to harm the family, wouldn't you?" Heather asked, raising a brow. He nodded.

"Definitely. But, you know, it didn't happen."

The blondes shared a laugh, and turned their heads to see Charlotte with a sheepish look on her face.

"Apparently, half the school knows the whole Melissa, Jasper, and Heather incident and they _bet on it_."

Henry sputtered at this. " _What?!_ "

Heather only blinked. "I'm not surprised. Melissa is the snarky, popular girl here. _Some_ people believe everything she says." And she eyed Henry, who stared back in shock.

"I thought we agreed to put that behind us!"

"I needed to make a sarcastic, accusing comment." Henry rolled his eyes as Heather snickered, before turning his head back to Charlotte.

" _Anyways_ , I was just talking to Oreste and Davide. Word of all the tension spread throughout, that's why people were talking when they saw you two together and not at each other's throats."

The blonds locked eyes with each other, thinking the same thing. _This was the outcome? Why do people feel the need to meddle and hear about it?_

Heather's brows furrowed as she stayed in her thoughts. _They didn't need to know about it. It was only meant for us to hear and be part of._

 _Sometimes this school irritates me. And this town._

She was snapped out of her thoughts as Henry got her attention, lightly gripping her arm as he pointed at the end of the corridor. And there he was, the curly-haired boy, sauntering through. People who stood by watched him intently, noting that he was walking near Heather's direction. Whispers were around, transitioning into a light hubbub. Jasper seemed to not be affected by the comments, and at this point Charlotte even assumed that he had no clue that Heather was with them. Until he stopped and saw Henry and the curly-haired girl, for which he stood by and smiled at them. Then turned and saw the girl that had ruined him, and he paled significantly, his once gleeful self waning to the more serious, upset one.

She only smiled lightly at him, waving a bit. He didn't respond with a wave, or spoke a _hello_. Jasper only stared into her brown eyes that looked similar to the blond boy's next to her. He wanted to turn away, but something in him prevented him from doing so.

"Hi, Jasper."

Her sweet voice rung in his ears. Jasper wanted to miss that, but he was supposed to despise her. She had no right to play with his emotions.

"Can we talk?"

That question stung.

"I've heard enough from you," he retorted, still stone-faced. He couldn't look angry, or upset. He couldn't make any negative, nor positive emotion.

"I want to talk to you alone, Jasper. Let me, please." A pleading tone came from her. Henry and Charlotte watched intently, waiting for his answer.

He couldn't stop himself from saying _yes_.

..

As Henry and Charlotte watched the two meander away to a corner, more whispers erupted. They both became annoyed.

"Can you all _stop talking_ about it?!" they both exclaimed in unison to the others, irritation etched on their faces.

They failed in stopping them.

..

"What do you want?" Jasper's tone had a hint of harshness, but at the same time it was calm.

"First of all, this is an apology," Heather began, voice quivering. She mentally cursed to herself; _stop sounding like you're going to cry! Look strong to him._ He watched her as she scrambled for her words. Jasper could feel a small tug of _missing her_ in him, no matter how much he tried to deny that he missed seeing her, hearing her.

"I know _how much_ that recording of myself hurt you, trust me. Melissa had only used that to her advantage to ruin the friendship we all had. She wanted to hurt us. And I know that you were affected the most, as it was directed to you. Jasper, you need to know that I am _so, so_ sorry for the amount of pain and grief I've caused you."

"It hurt myself too. When you were down, Henry lost his trust in me, and Charlotte supposedly had too. I thought I lost all my friends I was better off with, and I had to stay with Melissa, Stephanie, and Julia. I'd like for you to know that I hate them with an utmost passion, and I never want to be associated with them again."

"So.." she finished, breathing heavily, looking a tad up to him.

He only stayed quiet, staring into her eyes. A weight of grief was lifted off of him.

"I understand."

"If you don't want to talk to me anymore," Heather stated. "it's alright. But I just want you to forgive me for everything that has happened."

"Why wouldn't I forgive you?" he questioned. "You told me the truth. It's a lot more believable than whatever Melissa will try to come up with."

She smiled, noticing the smirk on his face. "So you do?"

He nodded, and reached his hand out to hers. Their fingers entwined. "Thank you, for telling me."

"Of course," she replied, brushing it off. "This tension was sappy and annoying." Jasper sniggered.

"Honestly. I'm just glad that we can be on good terms now."

Their eyes locked again, both having glints of joy in them.

"You remind me of an _old_ friend I had, before I _moved_. You and Char all remind me of my old group of friends, so it's nice to know you guys tolerate me now." Heather let out a laugh, and Jasper joined.

"Did you care about them?" Jasper asked, eyeing her hand that was joined with his. She nodded.

"I really cared about them. I could trust them."

"That's how I feel about Henry and Charlotte. And you, of course."

Heather grinned at that. "Thanks, Jasp."

 _I could always trust Jasmine Dunlop and Charlie Bolton before._

She looked up at the slightly taller curly-haired boy. "Can I ask something?" When Jasper nodded, she went on. "Why did you like me?"

He stopped for a moment, looking pensive. "You were different from the other girls. I guess.. you had some charm that they don't have. I felt like I could get along with you the best, like I've known you for a long time."

At that, the blonde girl's heart nearly fluttered. _That's so sweet! And.. I am different from other girls.._

Their entwined hands transitioned into a hug, Heather wrapping her arms around Jasper's neck as he wrapped his own arms around her waist. They were finally at peace.

* * *

Rey tip-toed back to the flat above their shop, putting a lock of hair behind her ear. She took off her mask, and rubbed her eyes with her glove-covered hands.

As she headed back, the brunette woman eyed her own reflection in the mirror, with her suit on.

She sighed heavily, removing the belt and the other layers of her Captain Woman outfit.

Dread engulfed her as she did so, guilt creeping up and ruining her thoughts.

 _I don't want to keep this from the girl. I don't want her hurt anymore. She's on good terms with her friends now, everything's alright for now. For now. Darnit Rey, why'd you say that?!_

She could hear the slam of the door of the flat, and light footsteps. Heather. Rey rushed to get the suit off and hide it in the event the blonde girl were to walk in.

 _Why does it have to be like this?_

 _.._

Heather turned her head from the television to Rey's door, where she could hear a light beeping.

In said woman's room, Rey attempted to turn off the crime radar that just so happened to be there. It was signaling that a villain was in the area, and _yes_ , Rey was very aware of it, now. She just wanted it to shut up before Heather questioned about it. Normally, it would be the control panel that would do that job, but with Heather there, the brunette woman deemed it a bit dangerous for her to know. So in her own time, while Heather was at school, she built the stupid device. For which, she now regrets doing so.

Back out in the main area, the blonde girl shrugged and continued watching the television, eating her bag of chips.

" _Shut up!_ " Rey hissed, banging the device with her palm, but it wouldn't stop to her misfortune.

On the device, it flashed the words _CRIME DETECTED_ in a fluorescent red, and it annoyed the brunette woman. Of course she knows there's crime near! The stupid device has spoken, and it only rubbed it in her face as she scrambled to attempt to shut it off. She _really_ was hoping that Heather wouldn't hear and question it.

As she continued _lightly_ slamming the device on the tile floor, Rey could hear the faint footsteps of Heather increasing in volume near her door, and out of panic she slid the device under her bed. Well, so much for Heather not finding out. Even though she couldn't stop it either way, Rey kicked the device further. She put her hands in her pockets as she awaited the blonde girl to enter.

Heather did enter with a small smile on her face. "Hey, Rey. I'm gonna go out for a walk. Is that fine?"

 _A walk? Is she going with someone? Where is she going? When is she coming back?_

The immediate questions based off of her maternal instinct erupted, and Rey mentally cursed to herself.

"Uh.. yeah. It's ok.." Rey trailed off, looking down at the bed where the faint sound of the device still went off, and as she noticed that Heather's eyes followed hers, she looked back up at her.

"Are you sure?" the blonde questioned, looking nervous. "If you really don't want me to, I don't have to go."

Rey shrugged it off. "No, no. It's perfectly fine. Just don't be out too late."

Heather snorted. "It won't take me 4 hours to walk until it gets dark. It's only 4 pm- I'll be back in about an hour. Alright?"

At that, the brunette nodded, eyes incessantly going back to the device. Heather walked towards her bed, and Rey jumped, lightly pushing her away.

"No!" she yelped, and the blonde raised a brow at her sudden outburst. "I mean.. uh- it's nothing. Don't worry."

"..okay." And Heather swiftly walked out, perplexed.

She sighed in relief, massaging her temples. Rey then got on her knees and reached out under the bed to grab the device that still blinked the dumb words and beeped the stupid noise. She slapped the device again, still knowing it wouldn't stop. It was worth a try.

"If you even _think_ about beeping while Heather's here, I won't hesitate to throw you out," Rey spoke to it condescendingly, albeit it was a device and it was inanimate meaning it can't even respond to her.

It ended up stopping anyways after she threatened it; the batteries died out. Let's say that Rey was at peace by then, and she hummed in content.

* * *

As Heather walked down the streets of Swellview, she sighed as she balled her hands into fists that were inside her jacket pockets. It was nice going out for a walk. Alone. Without anyone to annoy or torment her. She was fine with it. As she observed the groups and individuals strolling around, laughing, interacting, Heather smirked. It was _just_ like the Swellview she knew before. A little.. too similar. Heather couldn't exactly identify _how_ , but the atmosphere around her gave her enough memories. But the blonde decided not to worry about it too much; she didn't want to freak herself out already.

Heather smiled at a few who waved, making conversation occasionally to the locals. She enjoyed talking to the people about _normal_ things, like the weather or current events. It was when she walked by a comic store that perked her attention.

On the front window, a large poster was plastered up, showing a grown man and what looks like a teen boy in suits and masks. Below them, it said _Captain Man and Kid Danger will be coming to this store for an meet-and-greet and autograph signing on November 28, Saturday!_ in red and blue text. Heather walked closer to it, looking at the familiarity of the heroes' suits.

 _Just like mine's and Rey's. Huh. Weird._

She shrugged, not giving it another thought. Heather passed by a group of teens that she assumed to be Captain Man fans, considering the shirts with his face on it and the pins on their chests, and the rapid conversations about said hero.

"I can't believe I get to meet him! Again!"

"Calm down dude, you already begged your dad, aka police officer whatever, to get his autograph. Again."

Heather snickered at this. _These people are so obsessed with him, but not the Kid Danger dude. What's so great about Captain Man?"_

On accident, Heather accidentally spoke her thoughts near the group.

"What's so great about Captain Man?" she blurted out, and knew she couldn't take it back as those teens immediately whipped their heads to her in disbelief.

" _What's so great about Captain Man?!_ " a boy repeated, stepping towards her. "He's the greatest superhero Swellview has ever seen! Have you been living under a rock?"

She gasped audibly, before shrugging. "I've seen better superheroes. And no, I have _not_ been living under a rock, thank you very much."

For some reason, the rest of the group also gasped, harsh whispers heard between them. Heather rolled her eyes at the commotion.

"What do you mean _you've seen better superheroes?_ Captain Man's indestructible! Nothing nor no one can harm him!" the boy rambled, leaving Heather dumbfounded.

 _Indestructible?! Does- does Rey know? This Captain Man dude has the same powers as her!_

"Indestructible? Really?" Heather questioned, faking curiosity. The rest of the group nodded, and the blonde rolled her eyes again.

"So you all support some brave dude that doesn't cry and scream when someone punches him? That makes him a superhero?" Heather retorted.

 _If Rey heard me talking like this, I know that she would be offended._

"Well, _duh_."

Heather breathed in heavily. "Whatever." And she walked away, leaving the group of fans either irritated or shocked by her words as they watched her.

..

She passed by an alley when she heard the yells and the sounds of body slamming against brick wall. Heather hid behind the wall of a building, watching the scene unfold intently.

"I warned you once. Now what did I say?"

"Uh- y-you're dead meat..?"

"Well," Captain Man paused, still gripping the masked man's collar tightly. "Before that."

"Don't vandalize public property..?"

"That's the one!" the brunette man yelled, slamming the man back to the wall again. "I'm turning you in."

Heather cringed at the sound of the other man, who sounded like he was about to cry. "No! Please- don't! I have a dog to take care of!"

"Well, he can be put up for adoption because he doesn't need an evil owner like you."

As she heard the sobs of the man, Heather rolled her eyes. _Lame._ Soon enough, a police car drove by and stopped, and the officers inside piled out and ran into the depths of the alley, where Captain Man recklessly threw the man to the officers, and they grabbed him tightly as one of the officers reached for cuffs. The man wailed as the brunette man rolled his eyes, and Captain Man crossed his arms over his chest, watching. He looked up at some point to another building, not noticing Heather which relieved her, and saw a woman with a mask and a.. familiar.. suit running on the roof. He squinted his eyes, hoping to get a closer look at her.

Captain Woman could see the faint red and blue suit from where she was, and saw that whoever he was was standing there. Watching her. She shut her eyes and opened them again before shaking her head, and sprinted faster. The brunette woman jumped to the next building's roof, which was rather close so she didn't have a problem. Except that _he_ had saw her.

She noticed the group of police officers roughly grabbing a criminal and leading him to the car, and the brunette mentally cursed.

 _Darnit. He already got him!_

The woman looked down lower at the scene and found a _very_ familiar head of blonde hair, and her jaw went slack. _Heather!_ And she went off, faster than she was before.

Back to the scene, Heather could see Captain Man rushing out, telling the officers that he was leaving, and he ran off, just like that. He didn't notice her still, and she watched him sprint away. Unknown to her, in the direction where Captain Woman had went.

Heather smirked. _This_ was something to tell Rey. And she walked off, back to their loft above Clothes Landing.

* * *

"Rey!" Heather called out as she closed the door of the flat and entered. "I'm back!" She furrowed her brows, not hearing the response of the brunette woman.

Said woman was climbing down their building from the roof, and she incorrectly guessed where her window was, and Rey stepped on the ledge in front of the living room window, and saw Heather's back turned as she used her phone. The brunette woman gasped audibly and jumped to the window's ledge on her right, where her room actually was. She unclasps the lock and pushes the window up, and jumps in.

Rey nearly rips off the suit and the mask and fumbles to get her normal clothes on. Kicking the suit under the bed, she walks out of the room, smiling at Heather as she turned.

"Hey.."

Heather had a sheepish smile on her face. "Hey. Why didn't you answer the first time?"

"..what- what did you say?" Rey questioned, her words slightly quivering from anxiety.

"I said I was back.. did you not hear me?"

"N-no."

She shrugged. "Alright, then. Are you okay? You look like a mess. What did you do while I was gone?"

"What-" Rey began, looking down at her wrinkled clothes, fear trapped in her eyes. She attempted to mask it as she looked back at Heather. "Yeah- I'm fine. I just.. lounged in my room."

Heather nodded slowly. "O..okay."

The brunette woman had a _painfully_ fake smile on her face. "Yeah! I'm alright. Did.. nothing."

The blonde nodded, and walked past the nervous woman, before pausing as she remembered what she saw earlier in the alley.

"You know that Captain Man dude?" Heather asked.

Rey froze, pangs of anxiety getting larger within her. "Uh- yeah.. w-why?"

"I saw him," the blonde breathed out. "He was turning this lame criminal into the cops. And then.."

"And then what?" the brunette asked rather frantically, for which Heather raised a brow at her suspicious behavior.

"He just ran away. I don't know where or why. Probably went back to his _lair_ or whatever."

"Huh," Rey laughed dryly. "Yeah, maybe. Whatever."

Heather nodded, and began to walk away until Rey stopped her, holding her shoulder.

"Is that it?"

"Hm? Oh- yeah, that was it."

And the blonde sauntered away to her room. Rey facepalmed, attempting to calm herself.. _She was_ _seriously_ _close to ruining everything again._

..

Ray put a hand through his hair, sighing as he stared down at the floor. That same scene, seeing _that_ woman run across the roof, played in his head incessantly.

He _really_ wanted to know who she was, and why her suit was very similar to his. It left him in a state of suspicion that won't go away anytime soon.

* * *

 **[As of 12/24/16, fixed a minor plot hole] Hey! Chapter 10! Rey was lucky (for now, heh) that Heather didn't see her when Captain Man was doing his.. Captain Man duties. Plot slowly coming along, we'll get to more drama and stuff later. I'm pretty sure you guys are sick of the drama, but come on! This fic can't be all fun and games- Heather and Rey literally got transported to another world and they need to get back. Just not now, yeah. Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome! Please review! Even if it's like one word or whatever! They're an impetus to make me write more.**


	11. Hard to Believe

**Opposites But Not**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own the show, characters, excluding Rey and Heather. I only own the plot!

Happy new year everyone! This is the first chapter of OBN that I've uploaded in 2017; kinda excited, kinda nervous. But only because of what I'll eventually write into this story, lol.

Also, if you're interested, I've uploaded a one-shot within the Henry Danger universe for you guys to read. If you're fine with themes of angst & similar themes, then I suggest reading it because it has some of that :P

* * *

Heather sat idly on her bed, staring at her reflection on the wall mirror across the room. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she locked eyes with her reflection, being pensive. For once, she wasn't disgruntled or encumbered with thoughts of guilt and qualm. The blonde carefully observed herself; her hair had gotten a bit longer, so it now reached her waist. Her dark circles were yet to be improved, caused by the lack of sleep that occurred in the previous weeks. Heather stood up from the bed, and began walking closer to the mirror. It came to her realization that she had stopped growing, so she stayed at her seemingly average height. To Rey, she was eye-level to her neck, and she had hopes of being as tall as her. Being taller than her was a dream.

But it didn't really matter how tall she was. No, to her, the more paramount notion is that she matured mentally. Heather wanted to verify that she could be more decisive and not act upon anything that might produce repercussions, to prove to Rey that she was trustworthy as a sidekick. As she thought this, her mind wandered to _the_ man. The Polymath, the intellectual with a condescending mindset.

She became aware that the Polymath hadn't been in her thoughts for weeks. Heather assumed that this was what Rey wanted; to not worry about him too much. But Rey never mentioned him to her in _such_ a long time.. like she forgot about him. Although, she knew that the brunette woman still thought about him, but she didn't want to make Heather worry by expressing it, so she keeps it disclosed to herself.

It worried Heather _more_ that their greatest enemy could appear anytime soon, and if Rey won't bother to capture him in sake of Heather, then they're dead meat.

The blonde paced around her room anxiously, her feet on its forefront as the tiles were too cold for Heather to fully step on.

 _What would he do when he comes back?_

Thoughts of _tormenting them more_ appeared. She was tolerant of said thoughts. Heather plans to learn how to acknowledge her problems, instead of pushing them away. Which sounds like a familiar brunette..

 _Will we defeat him?_

..

 _The Polymath stood upon the zenith of the cliff, viewing the scene in front of him with pure glee. Heather, as Girl Danger, was chained to the metal platform that was erected from the rocky surface, the whole back of her body in contact with it. She only watched in fury. The blonde only could anyways- she wouldn't be able to escape without a source, like a device, or Rey._

 _To put it bluntly: Rey had met her demise from the Polymath. He was able to find an antidote for her powers of being indestructible, unknown to her until she got in contact with it. Heather had cried out all of her tears, screamed all of her screams, leaving her weary, weak and with a strained throat. She could see the smoke erupting from the view of the city, never-ending bright fires that occupied her memories to become nightmares._ _If_ _she's alive by then to have nightmares._

 _The hooded figure turned around, sneering at her._

" _Shame. And you thought you were able to finally defeat me?" his voice had still given her chills up her spine. His first word gave her pangs of anxiety._

 _But Heather stayed silent. She knew that he wanted a response- to trigger her true infuriation. Her fatigued brown eyes only stared back at his bloodshot ones._

" _The silent treatment, huh?" he chuckled darkly. "So unoriginal."_

 _Silence from Heather._

 _He sauntered over to her, gripping hold of the familiar scepter in his gloved hand. The Polymath poked the sharp edge on her neck, and Heather's eyes trailed down to the emerald, glowing cube that was encompassed within the golden frame on the top of the scepter, near the tip. Heather gulped, desperately trying not to show fear in her eyes as he stared at her._

" _You're nothing without Captain Woman. Acknowledge it."_

 _And when she shook her head, it only triggered_ _his_ _infuriation, and when he thrust the scepter in her direction, she hoped for the worst._

 _.._

Heather blinked rapidly, breath quivering as her heart was beating against her chest. A thin sheet of sweat formed on her forehead, and her eyes were imbedded with paranoia, and fear. Somehow she ended up on the floor of her room, back in contact with the front of her bed frame.

She sighed heavily, rubbing her temples. Why did it have to be _now_ that she thought of this?

The light vibration of her phone on the nightstand made her whip her head to said area, and she let out a relieved sigh. Heather grabbed her smartphone, and saw that it was Henry calling. She smiled and answered.

"Hi, Henry!" Heather hoped he couldn't hear her voice slightly trembling.

"Hey," Henry called out from the other line. "Listen, um.. Charlotte, Jasper, and I planned an outing later on, and we were wondering if you'd like to come with us?"

This was sure to distract her from her.. earlier thoughts. "Yeah, of course.. I'd love to."

"That's great. We'll drop by your shop at around noon, alright?"

"Okay, okay. Thanks Hen!"

He let out a light chuckle. "No prob, Heath." And he hung up, leaving Heather quiet again. She awkwardly fidgeted in her place, slender fingers gripping her phone a bit too tightly. Heather mentally cursed; when her friends _actually_ want to hang out with her, she suddenly doesn't want to be with them. What _is_ wrong with her? The blonde simply confused herself, sliding her phone in her cardigan pocket and inhaling a deep breath. Oh, how much she wanted the blond boy, the curly-haired girl and boy to arrive now so Heather wouldn't have to suffer through her own thoughts of regret.

She turned away, heading to her bedroom door when she heard a cry of pain from Rey. Heather immediately ran out, the door slamming open as her heroine instincts kicking in as she was preparing herself for a fight stance.

But it wasn't a villain of any sort. It was all a figment of her imagination, most likely hallucinating from the lack of crime she had encountered. Well, it wasn't a person, but the edge of the counter where Rey's hip had collided could be considered one that would've been easily avoided.

Rey noticed the brief flash of worry on Heather's face as they stared at the other, before Heather relaxed and rolled her eyes at the brunette woman.

"I'm okay," Rey called out her signature phrase, smirking at the blonde who deadpanned at her.

"You're ridiculous, Rey," Heather pointed out, putting her hands on her nearly nonexistent hips. Hey, she was 14. And a late bloomer, according to her mother.

 _Mom.._ Heather hadn't thought of Jackie Hart at all during this whole fiasco. She was too preoccupied with her current surroundings that Heather pushed away any thought of her own, actual family. A gut-wrenching pang of guilt seeped through her as she awkwardly shifted in her spot. _Dad.. Peter!_

She couldn't believe she was even thinking this to herself. Heather thought the moment she would miss her younger brother Peter's constant yapping about his friends and video games was when she'd die a lonesome death of destruction around her and owning at least 27 dogs. Which, wouldn't be a bad thing, she pondered. Owning 27 dogs, not being alone for the rest of her life. Or the destruction part.

The brunette woman scoffed, snapping Heather out of her mind. "Says the one who nearly kicked her door open."

If Heather could roll her eyes back any further, she would. "You yelled out in pain, what was I supposed to do? Sit on my bed binge watching Black's Physiology while I eat bags of chips?"

"That sounds like a good idea."

Heather groaned. " _Rey!_ "

Rey put up her hands in defense, chuckling. "Hey, I was kidding. Did the new episode come out yet?"

The blonde shook her head, sighing heavily once again. She remembers the phone call with Henry recently, and decides to mention it.

"Henry called and asked if I wanted to hang out with him, Charlotte, and Jasper. Can I go?"

The brunette tapped her foot lightly on the tile. "Where are you all going?"

She shrugged. "Henry didn't mention, he only said that he'll come by to get me."

"Well don't be out too late."

"It's noon. How long do you think we'll be gone?"

Rey pursed her lips in thought. Heather thought she always looked stupid like that, snickering as she awaited the brunette to become irritated and berate her for laughing. "You four are teenagers, and I would expect you all to stay until it's really dark outside because y'all think _hey, we're suuuuuper cool and our parents don't have to tell us what to do blah blah-_ "

Heather playfully slapped her arm, furrowing her brows in mock irritation. "We _aren't_ like that.. don't make assumptions just because you're _old_."

At the mention of the O-word, which Rey always commands Heather to label old as so but the blonde never cares, the brunette's eyes harden. "I'm not old! I'm 35!"

" _Ooooold._ "

"I will not hesitate to carry you off the ground and swing you around."

At that, Heather shut up. The last time Rey did that, well.. Heather had promised after not to be so voracious beforehand.

"How about _no_."

"How about _yes?_ " Rey retorted with a devilish smile. "And I still remember what happened last time. You eat _too_ much for such a small girl, and I didn't want to see evidence of that."

Heather sneered at the brunette woman. "How am I supposed to hold in my stomach contents as you swing me around like a baseball bat?"

Rey rolled her eyes. "You _learn_ how to. Having to fight the Odoriferousifer- dumb name, by the way, for a while before you became my sidekick, I've endured his putrid smell of rotting corpse. I'm not sure how he manages to smell like that, but at least he went away from existence."

"Odorifer- what? _Who?_ "

"Exactly." Heather only blinked slowly, desperately wanting to slap the smug grin off of Rey's face.

"And did this smelly dude swing you around without your consent?"

"That's not the point."

"Sure sounds like it."

" _Heather Har- Charleston._ " Rey face palmed at her slip-up.

Said girl groaned in exasperation. "Come on!" she complained. "Not again, Rey! You _can't_ keep doing that."

"I know, I know, _I know_." Her tone of vexation was evident to the blonde already.

Heather only stood in her spot, arms crossed over her chest as she stared at the brunette scornfully. The blonde simply wasn't convinced; knowing Rey, it was bound to happen again. And probably at the most unconventional time. At the thought, Heather groaned again.

* * *

Heather had found her three friends standing idly outside the shop, and she sauntered over to them with a half-genuine grin plastered on her face. Her blonde hair was up in a ponytail, and the girl hoped her black and white striped sweater tucked in high waist black jeans looked fine. Her doubts were dismissed as Charlotte complimented her.

"You look great, Heather!"

 _Thanks. I need to make sure I look like I really want to be here._

"Thanks, Charlotte," she gushed, a light rosy color appearing on her cheeks.

Henry watched the conversation between the two girls, hands fitting snuggly in his front pockets. Jasper turned his head over to Henry, for which he gave the blond a sheepish smile. Henry smirks back in response.

Jasper treads over to Charlotte and Heather, keeping his distance from the blonde a bit. He spoke up to them, "We'd better get going."

Heather gave him a questioning look. "Where _are_ we going, anyways?"

Charlotte beamed at her. " _Henry_ decided for us to go the bowling alley."

"The Bowlerama?"

The three teenagers nodded. Heather smirked, a bit to their confusion.

"I _love_ bowling," she clarified, and Henry's eyes had a glint of amusement.

"So do I!" Henry announced, flashing a grin at the blonde girl. "The last time I went with Charlotte and Jasper, I totally owned them."

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "You lie. You didn't _totally_ own us-" and the curly-haired girl turned to the curly-haired boy, for which he shrugged nonchalantly. "Right, Jasper?"

Jasper raised a brow. "Henry beat us every game." At that, Charlotte lightly slapped his arm, grumbling.

Heather chuckled. "I _always_ beat my friends at bowling. They threatened to throw a ball at me for every game I won against them." Henry laughed out loud at her response.

"Sounds familiar, _Charlotte?_ " Henry jokingly jeered at said girl, and she glared daggers at him. Heather felt the light tension between the two, and spoke up, hoping for it to disperse.

"Maybe we should get going.." the blonde trailed off, averting her eyes to each of them nervously. They spoke mumbles of agreement and began walking down the sidewalk to the bowling alley that wasn't that far off from the shop.

* * *

Heather sat on the benches near their lane as Henry grabbed a bowling ball from the dispenser, looking as confident as ever. Said confidence was familiar to the blonde girl, but she couldn't exactly figure out how it was. Charlotte rolled her eyes at Henry's stance as he gripped the ball in his hands, determined as Jasper finished his frame.

"Spare again!" The curly-haired boy fussed, mock glaring at the blond boy as he walked towards the front. Heather, Charlotte, and Henry all chuckled as Jasper grumbled and stood back.

Before Henry rolled the ball, he turned to Heather.

"So you usually beat your friends. _I_ usually beat my friends-"

"Stop rubbing it in!" Jasper interrupted him, and the curly-haired girl swatted his arm. Henry turned back to the blonde girl.

"Let's see who can knock down the most pins in a round," Henry challenged, and Heather immediately sneered at his request.

Heather announced, "You're on." And she grabbed a red ball, smirking at Henry. The blond boy smirked back, then turning to the lane. He paused for a moment, in stance. Charlotte yelled a quick _Good luck!_ as he stood there.

"I don't need luck," Henry murmured to himself, and released the ball, for which it rolled smoothly against the shined wooden flooring. Heather could tell he was a stroker style player; his delivery of the ball was _flawless_. The blonde was reasonably impressed.

As expected, the ball came in contact with the pins, and although it genuinely hit the middle pins, those pins falling caused a domino effect which then causes the others to fall as well, resulting in.. a _strike_.

Heather smirked as Charlotte and Jasper groaned, leaving Henry pumping his fist into the air. "Nice," she complimented him, giving him a high five. Henry's confidence was surging.

"Thanks. I'll say the same if you have a strike too."

"I bet you will," she replied rather frankly, walking towards the start of the lane. She took a deep breath, and released.

Henry took mental notes on her form. She was also a stroker style player, making her competition. He liked that.

Turns out, Heather did accomplish a strike, the sounds of the ball hitting through the pins distracting Henry from his thoughts. His eyes dilated as Heather walked over to him with a smug smile on her face.

"I was wrong," Henry commented, giving her a high five. "You are pretty decent."

" _Decent?_ " Heather repeated, raising a brow. "I am _not_ decent. I'm good! Great! Anything but decent."

"Not as amazing as _me,_ " Henry taunted, and Heather stuck her tongue out at him, giving Henry a mock glare.

Charlotte now puts her hands up to stop the two from teasing each other any longer. "How about both of you stop before you two try to kill each other?"

"We're passed that," Heather retorted, before shaking her head at Henry. "I hope." Henry pointed an accusing finger at her.

"Yeah.. what she said."

The curly-haired girl rolled her eyes, grabbing a green ball as she walked over to the area. "I know you two make no such promises."

Jasper turned to Henry and Heather, to see that Heather was nodding as Henry was shaking his head. "Henry, you do make promises," he stated as a matter-of-factly.

"Actually, sometimes I don't-" Henry and Jasper turned to the curly-haired girl.

" _Yes!_ " Charlotte yelled, her arms thrown in the air as she did a small victory yell from the strike she accomplished. Heather laughed, clutching her side. "Good job, Char!"

The blond and the curly-haired boy turned to the lane where all the pins were knocked down, and Henry whipped his head back to Charlotte.

"You did good, Charlotte," the boys both commented, and Heather rolled her eyes.

Heather put a hand on Henry's shoulder. "You didn't even see her release the ball." At that, Henry laughed nervously.

"Uh, yeah _I did_."

" _Sure_ ," the blonde girl jeered. Henry glared his eyes at her as Jasper smirked.

"I love how we're all getting along," Jasper commented. "We're not mad at each other, trying not to fight one another, not hiding any secrets-"

A beeping sound was heard, and the blond's eyes averted down to his watch where a light was flashing and the sound being incessant. He nervously looked up at Charlotte, for which she gestured at him to leave. Henry turned to Jasper and Heather who were equally suspicious. To Heather, though, the sound was all too familiar and it hit hard to home.

"Uh- I-I gotta go," Henry announced, pointing to the door. "I-I have go home.. and m-make dinner and Charlotte-" Henry lightly grabbed said girl's arm, and she rolled her eyes. "-is gonna help me..! Okay, bye- I'll pay you guys back!" And off he went with her, both rapidly taking the bowling shoes off to put their regular ones on before running out leaving Jasper and Heather to their own devices.

"Did you realize Henry said dinner?" Heather questioned to Jasper, and he nodded.

"Yeah. It's only 2 pm," the curly-haired boy noted.

"Not hiding any secrets.." Heather stated, crossing her arms over her chest. "Somehow I find that hard to believe."

* * *

"And Henry ran off with Charlotte immediately?"

Heather nodded eagerly, her foot tapping against the tile. "It was a bit strange. His watch started beeping for some weird reason and he just left with her."

Rey shifted her eyes to Heather, who was leaning on the back of the couch. "Sounds familiar.." Her eyes were then fixated on the bracelet on the coffee table, left untouched for who knows how long. After the whole ordeal with Melissa, Heather had taken it off and never put it back on. It left too many unpleasant memories but hearing Henry's watch made her even more suspicious, and made her reminisce of said memories.

"You should put that back on," Rey muttered, motioning to the bracelet. Heather shook her head.

"It reminds me of our old life. And Melissa."

The brunette woman walked to the table and picked it up, and gestured for the blonde to show her her wrist. Heather reluctantly did so, watching Rey gingerly put on the wrist watch bracelet.

"Here."

"Okay, it's on- can I take it off now?"

"No," Rey replied sternly. "Keep it on. You might lose it."

To refrain from whining, Heather sighed heavily. "Alright. I'll keep it on."

It was as if a light bulb struck on in Rey's head, and she whipped her head to the blonde teenager.

"I just realized something," the brunette said in awestruck, locking her sapphire eyes with the girl's large brown ones. Heather raised a brow, letting her continue.

"So.. Heather, _Henry_. What's his last name?"

Heather nodded slowly. "..Hart." She had completely forgotten about to tell Rey, and said woman's eyes immediately dilated.

"Hm, alright. So you're both blond.. _both_ have watches that beep and stuff.."

"Don't all wrist watches beep?" Heather retorted, and Rey glared at her before pausing, and the blonde girl giggled.

"Do you two have anything in common?" Rey questioned her, and Heather began looking pensive.

"We both like bowling," Heather replied, shrugging nonchalantly.

Rey mentally noted that. "Is that it?"

"We both hate Melissa. For the same reason."

"Okay, well that happened when we got here. I'm assuming Henry had started bowling _before_ we arrived." At that, Heather nodded.

"Where are you going at?"

..

"You two could be related."

Heather wanted laugh. "What? Of course we're not. Sure, we're both blonde."

"Same eye color, too."

"And we both like bowling and have beeping watches. So? That doesn't make us related."

"Same _last name_."

"Hart.. actually isn't that commonof a last name.. but I can tell you that Henry and I aren't the only ones with that last name!" Heather retorted. "Besides, if he was my cousin or something, I _would've_ known by now!"

"Maybe your parents didn't want you to know," the brunette suggested. "That your cousin or whatever somehow got into this universe and never told you."

The blonde girl rolled her eyes. "That's ridiculous. Henry's not related to me."

Rey shrugs, disregarding her words. "Whatever you say, kid. _Whatever you say_." And Heather crossed her arms over her chest, smirking.

 _There's no way we're related. That would be_ _so_ _weird. I mean, he sometimes acts like I do.. but maybe it's just coincidence..!_

 _Come on Rey, why are you making me view Henry differently now?!_

* * *

Heather decided to question Henry about the topic, sauntering over to Junk N' Stuff. As she got closer, she saw the closed sign and sighed. Heather would call him but her phone was dead and she was charging it back at their loft above Clothes Landing. The blonde was about to head back until she accidentally collided with someone with a taller frame.

The unknown person yelped as Heather's head hit its chest. "Gah!"

"Oh God, I'm so sorry!" Heather rambled, then looking up at the person. Her eyes dilated.

It was Alfie, the boy that Melissa, Stephanie, and Julia had brought with at the café. He had a plastic coffee cup in his hand, and it fortunately didn't drop on the floor or on Heather. His hair was still sticking up, the same as Heather saw it last time.

"Hi, Alfie," Heather mumbled, slightly blushing.

"Hey," he replied, giving her a slightly worried look. "Are you alright?" She nodded.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Thanks for asking." Heather mentally cursed at herself for awkwardly fidgeting in her place.

It soon came to her realization that he had an uncanny resemblance to her boyfriend before she got here, Billy. He had the same brown hair and hazel eyes that made Heather incredibly happy, and also wonder how she got someone like him. Alfie, on the other hand, didn't realize that he probably made her uncomfortable with his stare until she murmured his name, getting his attention.

"Oh- sorry, I-I didn't mean to.. stare at you," Alfie stumbled on his words, his cheeks burning.

"It's fine," Heather shrugged off his words. "I am simply too attractive," she then joked, and he laughed, the sound making Heather faint.

"And you are simply correct," Alfie retorted, smirking. Heather wondered if he noticed how much she was internally screaming.

..

"What do you mean, someone already stopped the Annihilator?!" Captain Man yelled at the police officer, gripping him tightly by the biceps. He rolled his eyes, trying to release the brunette man.

"I meant _exactly_ what I said, Captain Man!" the officer announced exasperatedly. "Someone came here before you and caught him. They left him here without any trace of themselves."

Before, there was news of a villain arriving at Swellview to annihilate the neighborhoods of the town. His name was pretty much self explanatory.

Kid Danger sighed heavily, rubbing his temples as Ray started to complain and make excuses about how they _somehow_ did it, and not the other person. He knew that Ray wouldn't be satisfied until he finds out who stopped their recent villains before they did, and he knew that would take a while.

"At least the deeds have been easier," Henry suggested, and the officer nodded while it only made Captain Man more vexed.

"But I wanna know _who_ has been making them easier!"

"They have _no_ idea! Stop tormenting the officer and _let's go_."

Captain Man wouldn't bother. "It's probably that woman with the nice hair," he muttered. Kid Danger ended up hearing him.

"What woman?" he questioned, and Captain Man froze in his spot, shaking his head.

"No one." He just began sauntering away, fixing his gloves as the blond boy stomped after him.

"Who?!" he questioned again, and the brunette man turned to him, gripping his shoulder tightly.

" _No one._ Don't worry about it."

Hearing their conversation, Captain Woman was hiding in a large shrub unbeknownst to the duo. _Of course he knows! But.. he probably doesn't know my pseudonym. Ha!_

And they walked off, leaving her in her thoughts as Kid Danger was more suspicious than ever from Captain Man's mentioning of some woman.

* * *

"Charlotte, we need your help. We gotta find someone on the people finder. Specifically, for superheroes."

The curly-haired girl rolled her eyes. "Listen, Ray. I can't find whoever you're trying to find."

"It's a woman," Henry stated monotonously, and Ray whipped his head to the blond boy.

"A woman? Pffft, no. What are you talking about?"

Henry sauntered around the Man Cave, crossing his arms over his chest. "Ray mentioned that it could've been one. Char, can you check if there are any female superheroes?"

She nodded, and turned away from the boy to the control panel, and she focused intently on the screen as she typed.

Soon enough, the sound of someone arriving down the tube was heard, and Henry and Ray turned to the tubes, where they saw Schwoz in a rather ugly, according to Henry, floral shirt and shorts. And a straw hat.

"Hey! I'm back from my vacation!" he announced, waving, and the blond boy reluctantly waved back as Ray turned away.

"Yeah, whatever. Don't disturb me, I'm finding someone."

"You mean, _Charlotte_ , is helping you find someone," the shorter man retorted, and the brunette glared daggers at him before turning his head back to the screen.

The words _5/10/15/20/50/100/200: None Found_ appeared again and Charlotte turned the swivel chair around, shrugging. "Sorry, Ray. Nothing."

The brunette man groaned loudly, running his hand through his hair as he stomped angrily away and back to his room. Schwoz raised an eyebrow at Ray's behavior.

He sauntered over to Henry and Charlotte. "What's wrong with Ray?" he questioned.

"He's getting mad that we haven't been able to find this person," Henry replied to him. "This _specific_ person, has been stopping our villains before we have."

Schwoz's eyes dilated. "There's another superhero here in Swellview?"

"Apparently," the curly-haired girl confirmed. "But they're not on any of the files here. Maybe they're new?"

"The finder can immediately detect that there's a new superhero," Schwoz stated. "Somehow, it doesn't identify the one you're talking about."

"That's weird," Henry commented, furrowing his brows, and Charlotte nodded. "Why is that happening?"

Schwoz only shrugged. "I'll find out why. As soon as I change back into my actual clothes, I'll make sure to tell you and Ray." Henry nodded as he walked away, leaving only him and Charlotte in the room.

"This is really making Ray upset," the curly-haired girl noted.

Henry's eyes were fixated on the floor. "It is. We really need to find out who it is before Ray goes mental."

..

And when Rey returned, out of her Captain Woman suit, she found Heather having a conversation with a brunette boy, the boy being a little too close to the blonde girl outside the shop. Her maternal instinct kicked in again, and Rey immediately became paranoid of the boy.

 _How does Heather know him? Who is he, anyways?_

The brunette woman was aware of Heather's other relationships, but this one seemed to make her uncomfortable. The boy did look a lot like Billy, the one that would've went with Heather to Montego's, but instead she went with Rey. After quickly reminiscing over that, her mind now focused on them.

"I work here, at Clothes Landing," Rey could hear Heather speak through the window, the blonde gesturing to the shop, and Alfie nodded, before saying something that Rey couldn't comprehend.

Rey's first thought was that Heather would probably tell her to not overreact, to stop being so overprotective. She really couldn't help it. The brunette cursed the instinct that was immediately placed upon her as soon as they arrived here.

* * *

 **Here's Chapter 11! Hey, hey, we're kinda getting somewhere now.. Rey makes theories about Henry and Heather.. they'll find out the truth eventually! And Alfie randomly comes back to Heather's life, blah blah. Ray is** _ **very**_ **determined to find out that Rey has been stopping their villains, but yeah that's gonna take a while. Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome!**


	12. Related?

**Opposites But Not**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own the show, characters, excluding the concept of Rey and Heather. I only own the plot!

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I just started school again and we're balloting for next year's classes. All advanced classes for me. ;_;

Also, this story reached the 50 review mark! Thank you all for reading/reviewing/following/favoriting! They motivate me to write. :D

-oOo-

 _After being sent out into the hall by his father, the young boy grumbled and skated back out. The brunette boy got off, and stepped on the edge of the yellow skateboard for the other end to go up so he could grasp onto it. He strolled around rather bored, occasionally making faces at the ceiling and though the windows. He leaned against the beige brick wall and slid his back down until his bottom reached the flooring. He was directly facing a reflective door that led into another laboratory. The boy was fixated on his reflection, the youth radiating off of him._

The brunette man's cheek twitched, and he clutched his duvet tighter.

" _I wonder what I'd look like when I'm older," the young boy mused. "I bet I would look so handsome. That'd be awesome." He started to pick at a loose thread at his sweater vest._

 _Later, he groaned. "This is so boring," he drawled to himself quietly, rolling his eyes. "I wish I had a brother or sister. Then I wouldn't have to go." The brunette boy slightly rolled the wheels of the skateboard._

 _(Well, it is take your kid to work day, according to Dad. Which would technically mean, bring_ _all_ _of your kids to your lame glass workplace.)_

 _Not focusing on anything else, he could hear the muffled sound of his father speaking. All of the scientists who worked there apparently only had one child each, which confused him. (What, is it some scientist pact to only have one kid?) And, the children who were his age were more focused on whatever his father was demonstrating. (They're boring too. I wanna go home.) Before leading the group into that specific laboratory, the boy's father felt it necessary to introduce his son to the other children of the scientists. He was more than enthused, he doesn't have to sit around while his father talks science stuff! (Oh, how wrong I was. Pfft.)_

" _I bet you all are going to get along pretty well, right Raymond?" his father questioned him, contently patting a hand on the boy's back. Raymond resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He forced a smile at the other children._

" _I think we are!" he falsely exclaimed, and the taller, quite older girl smiled at him while the other two boys and girls just stared at him with an uneasy look. (Get me out of here.)_

 _Raymond now turned his head to see his father push a lever, for which a fluorescent show of lights encompassed the core of the machine he was using, and the boy squinted at the brightness. He gave up on that, eventually using his forearm to cover the light from view. Once he heard his father pull it back, the lighting was back to normal and while he couldn't hear what his father was saying, he grabbed the wooden bat and focusing on the small group, then hits the pane of glass with the bat. The glass wasn't harmed at all whatsoever._

 _His eyes dilated. (Now_ _that_ _was cool. Wow!)_

 _Then, he saw his father lead the group to the other room, possibly to discuss whatever just happened. Raymond deduced that it must've been the machine that caused the glass to suddenly not be impacted by the force that abruptly reached it. He didn't really think much of that after when he decided to use his skateboard again. The brunette boy stepped onto it, and when he rode on it, he was heading back into the laboratory. He only realized last minute he couldn't reroute himself_ _around_ _the machine and only headed into the middle of it, and in the process he nearly falls off his skateboard, but the lever saves him from his body falling to the floor. Unfortunately for him, the lever gets pushed back like when his father had previously used it and the machine turned on._

 _He was immediately caught in the device, the strange effect trying to ram into each and every inlet of his young body. Pain came along with it, making him jolt as he could see the array of light flash before his eyes. He couldn't even hear his own father yelling in utmost horror._

He winced, shutting his eyes tighter. Why did it have to be _this_ he dreamt of?

 _Raymond's eyes were about to lose its sight, and he already felt numb. He could barely recollect himself when his father rushed over to turn off the machine, and Raymond nearly fell over. His father caught him in his arms, and asked him if he was alright._

" _Yeah, I feel great!" Raymond told him, a grin slapped on his face. He was perplexed, and he was sure his father kind of was as well. (It felt like being stabbed with needles all over. Why do I feel.. better?)_

" _Oh, thank jeepers!" His father, Carl, wrapped his arms around the younger boy. "When I saw you being bombarded with the proton beams, I-"_

The face his father made was too vivid for him, and he was about to wake up in irritation until

" _I feel great!" Raymond told his father as he grinned. The scene repeated again._

 _The memory of his father swatting him once with the metal bat appeared, where he found out he was_ _a lot_ _different now from other children. "I get to hit you over the head?" he questioned his father light-heartedly._

" _This is so boring."_

" _I wouldn't have to go."_

" _Get me out-"_

 _A young girl's voice suddenly entered his mind._

" _-of here." The image of Raymond suddenly warped and transitioned into a young brunette girl. She sat on the floor against a wall, pouting as her green scooter rested against her leg. The brunette girl groaned, lightly banging her head back at the brick wall. "The other kids are boring. I don't wanna be friends with them."_

He froze where he was on his bed, devoid of any movement or emotion. ..Who.. is.. that..?

 _The young girl rolled her eyes, sighing heavily. "I wish I had a sister or brother. Then I wouldn't have to be here in this lame glass place."_

Her words were _oddly_ familiar, and he wasn't sure why he didn't make a correlation. The brunette girl did bare a resemblance to the young boy, but why would she appear now? He had no clue who she was.

 _The next scenarios only appeared as blurs, from the young girl using her scooter and riding it into a familiar looking laboratory to an older, greying haired bespectacled woman scolding her._

" _Why don't you scooter out in the hall? Mommy's busy being a scientist," she told the girl, and the child only pouted and grumbled a small, "Okay, mommy."_

 _Next, the scenario shifted back to the girl pondering to herself out in the hall, staring at her reflection at the mirror of the lab door across from her. She carefully observed her youthful appearance, muttering to herself that she hopes she looks a lot better when she's older. The brunette girl absentmindedly twisted a lock of her hair in her hand as her eyes were fixated. It then transitioned to her supposed mother fixing her lab coat and then brought the group with her to the other room. She scootered haphazardly in there, adrenaline filled in her while at the same time, a tiny bit of fear._

" _Woah!" she yelped, then reaching the eerily_ _familiar_ _machine. Lever pushed. Array of light._

(No, no.. what.. what was happening?)

" _Holy gosh! Freya!"_

 _Terror was plastered all over the young girl's face; she was just_ _confused_ _. She had no idea what was happening. Or if she'll even survive.._

 _A transition to the young girl falling in her mother's arms._

" _Wait.." the older woman quickly grabbed the metal scanner, and quickly ran it over her daughter's body. The blue light gleaming from the end suddenly turned red at the contact, and her worried eyes averted to the object in her hand. Suddenly, without any warning, she swats the bat against her daughter's head after both communicated with words that were incomprehensible._

He cringed in his sleep.

" _Ow!" she exclaims, instinctively holding her hands on her head. She looks at her mother in disbelief._

 _The bespectacled woman's eyes dilated. "Did that hurt?"_

" _Well of course it did, you hit me with a metal bat!" the young girl cries out, still holding her hands on her head._

(What..?)

 _She took her hands off her head, suddenly smirking. "Hey, it only hurt for a second!"_

 _Her mother suddenly holds her by the arms with equal happiness. "Freya, do you know what this means?!" she questioned, grinning. "It means-"_

Ray shot up from his bed, a thin sheet of sweat on his forehead. He was breathing heavily, hands gripping the duvet tightly. It was pitch black in his room save for the moonlight that shone through his open window. He could feel the light breeze filling the room as he only focused on the sound of his heavy breathing. Incessant questions filled his mind, and he was sure that they will probably never be answered.

 _Who was she? She and her mother must've known my father.. how else would they have gotten the machine? But.. if my father redistributed the machine he would've told me.._

His chest felt rather constricted at the moment. _This poor girl.. she must hate the burden she has. Whoever she is, I hope I can find her one day. Help her._

The brunette man buried his face in his hands, unable to return to sleep again.

..

Rey immediately turned the light on her nightstand on, breathing heavily as she stepped out of her own bed. The brunette woman turned to the floor mirror next to the bed, her eyes dilated.

 _The young boy. His father. The_ _machine_ _. H-how does he have it? And.. he's probably ruined by his new profound power. Or as I call it, an encumbrance._

 _I want to know who he is. I want to help him. Allow him to realize that it's not so bad after all. I just hope he won't end up as a failure, just like I am._

She fell on her knees to the tile, incapable of bringing herself up, devoid of any emotion or willpower. Rey wondered if the event that occurred months ago marked the end of the lifestyle she preserved for more than a decade, marks the end of the life she occasionally rejected, marks the end of her crime-fighting alliance with Girl Danger, then marks the end of her long-term pseudonym.

The brunette didn't want to admit it, especially to Heather, but that dream only allowed to admit to herself that she was broken. A tear was held in.

 _All the Polymath's fault._

 _All of his fault._

Only the boy with the yellow skateboard stayed in her mind for the rest of the night.

-oOo-

The raven-haired girl's hair was up in a bun as she re-applied her lip balm in front of her vanity. Once satisfied, she returned to her bed where her laptop sat. On the screen, there showed the two twin blondes silently talking to one another. She muted them for a bit but could see that they were apparently arguing. Tapping her finger on the volume key, the volume of their shrill voices increased and the raven-haired girl rolled her eyes.

"Ugh! I cannot believe you, Steph," the blonde with a braid exasperated. "The world does not revolve around you. Not every boy will fall for you."

"She's right, Jules," Mel retorted, smirking. "It revolves around me." Even after the whole commitment scheme with Heather and Jasper, she still believed that it was only the beginning. _I've been there at Swellview Junior High, like, way longer than Heather. Just because she hangs out with Chicken Hen Hart and his two loser friends doesn't mean she's suddenly the coolest girl in school!_ Only reminiscing that made Mel shift uncomfortably on her bed.

Julia scoffed. "You two are being ridiculous. Besides, Mel, your reign is hanging by a thread."

Melissa audibly gasped. "You little-" _Who does she think she is?! I_ _dominate_ _our school._

"Alright!" Stephanie interrupted, rubbing her temples. "That's enough. Fine, Julia, like more than 10 guys love you, I don't know. Even your boyfriend."

"Does Anthony even care about you anymore?" the raven-haired girl drawled, raising a brow. "Last time I heard, he was getting tired of you."

The blonde girl glared daggers at her dark haired friend, for which she only sneered. "He _still_ loves me! You don't know what you're talking about, Melissa!" _Pfft, yeah I do._

"Besides," Stephanie spoke up, tying her hair in a ponytail. "Has your boyfriend gotten used to his new hometown? After all, he did moved _once_ he came back from marching band camp." _Did she seriously use that as a way to get back at me? That stupid boy was a waste of my time. Besides, there are other attractive guys here. I don't care.._

Grunting, Melissa crossed her arms over her chest. The bright screen of her laptop blared at her, straining her eyes. "Shut up, I broke it off. Thinking it was fine to continue a relationship while in a different state? He's such a loser."

"You simply aren't dedicated." _Julia, stop being such a scrub! Just agree with me already!_

"And last time _I_ heard, he thinks his _new_ girlfriend is way prettier and funnier than you, Mel." _Um, since when was anyone else prettier and funnier than me, Melissa B.?_

Melissa blinked at her screen. "No one's prettier and funnier than me. But I don't care, whoever she is, I hope she realizes how pathetic he is." At that, Stephanie and Julia both, unbeknownst to Melissa, reluctantly nodded.

"Honestly," Julia retorted, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. "Leaving you for more than a week? He's not worth your time."

" _Right?_ " Mel agreed, nodding her head. _Finally, some sense knocked into her._ "For real, though, I could've done more heinous things to other people during the time he was gone for band camp or whatever."

Stephanie furrowed her rather thin brows. "Would you really?" she asked, her tone rather hesitant. "I mean, the thing you did with Jasper and his friends was kind of-"

"Amazing," the raven-haired girl interrupted, sneering at her screen at Stephanie. "Did you see how much it broke them? Seeing them snap was like hitting the gold in a mine." She huffed, rolling her eyes then. "For a while, at least."

"You know that Jasper really liked Heather," the blonde with the ponytail stated as a matter-of-factly. "Don't you feel pity?" Once she saw Melissa sneer again, Stephanie sighed heavily. "..genuine pity?"

Melissa shrugged nonchalantly as she watched Julia step away from the screen and to her pink, frilly bed. "Does it even matter anymore? He probably got over that lame crush anyways. Heather had no redeeming qualities and Jasper must've realized that by then." She reached over to her nightstand to grab a half-filled bottle of water.

The face of _I can't believe you sometimes_ was plastered all over Stephanie's face, and Melissa couldn't resist the urge to roll her eyes for the third time. It befuddled the raven-haired girl; why was Stephanie suddenly defending Heather and her so-called _friends_? As she drank her water, the girl only watched Stephanie wipe her day's makeup off with a wet cloth. If she could, Melissa would've questioned Stephanie by now. She let her be. _Steph's going to realize how stupid she sounds eventually, and come crawling back to me. Anyone friends with me never leaves me. Except Heather._

After saying a quick _Good night_ to Stephanie, she meekly replied with the same and hung up on their video call. Melissa shut her laptop off and set it on her nightstand and threw her burgundy silk blanket over her.

Remembering the appearance of the transfer girl, her long blonde hair in light waves. Her large, brown eyes, and how they twinkled when she was happy. How her full brows would hood over her eyes when she was angry. Melissa saw that look loads of times. _Maybe,_ her questionable yet trendy outfits. It occurred to Melissa that Heather would be the type of person to spend some amount of time getting ready. Although recently, even as she saw the blonde girl during school it looked as if she stopped trying at her appearance. Heather rarely wore make-up to school, and Melissa would jump off of a cliff before outwardly admitting that Heather was in the least.. _pretty_.

But Heather was also the type of person to hold secrets, to Melissa at least. _After all, she did hide her rejection towards Jasper. Went out, anyways._ Mel knew she had more that she encased in the deep depths of her mind, but it was a normal thing. The raven-haired girl had her own secrets as well. She couldn't see herself telling Stephanie, Julia, Alfie, or even her own parents for that matter.

If they found out she was plotting with a questionable being, Melissa wouldn't be able to develop an excuse anyways. And somehow, her mission to ruin Heather Charleston with more of her secrets was still on her list of priorities. Maybe some of her friends can be added in the mix.

The raven-haired girl had a contemptuous smile on her face as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

-oOo-

It was the next day, and Henry arrived at the Man Cave shortly after his school hours were over. Initially, Charlotte was to go along with him, but a meeting with LIMP left an apologetic Charlotte quickly hugging Henry before he was left on his own devices. The blond boy entered from the elevator to find Schwoz leaning against the swivel chair, burying his face in his hands. The muffled sound of Schwoz groaning was heard by Henry.

"Schwoz?" Henry questioned, raising a brow as he treaded over to the control panel. He threw his backpack recklessly at the couch, and ignored it when it fell off the cushion and onto the floor.

The smaller man whipped his head to Henry. "Henry!" he exclaimed, before turning back to the screens. "I'm sort of busy right now.."

Various images of what seems to be mugshots of suspects appeared, and Schwoz began typing. "Who are they?" he asked.

"Remember yesterday, when there was a bomb scare downtown?" the man asked, and Henry nodded. "Well, one or two of these guys are suspected to have caused it."

He clicked through each of the pictures individually, and Henry noted that most of them looked the same. That wasn't gonna help. "They all look the same."

Groaning, Schwoz turned around to the blond boy again. "You think I'm not aware of that? Ray was helping me earlier but now he's too busy doing whatever somewhere. Both of you might have to go out soon if I find a lead.." He turned back to the screen, skimming through a quick description of a suspect received by a witness. Henry stood in his spot awkwardly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I'll make sure to tell Ray," Henry stated, his tone now sounding a tad bored. Soon enough, his phone starts to vibrate in his back pocket. He grabs his phone, and once he sees the picture on his phone he smirks. It was a picture of Heather, one he took when she wasn't looking at the Bowlerama. He answered his phone, awaiting whatever she was going to tell him.

"Hey, Henry," she starts, clearing her throat after. "I was just wondering- do you wanna come over? Kinda bored right now.."

"School just ended," Henry replied, chuckling. "Did you even do homework?"

The blond boy could hear Heather scoff through the phone. "Who do you think I am?"

"Right, I forgot. No wonder you're failing school, not doing your homework."

"The only reason I'd ever fail school is because I'm hanging out with you more often."

 _Heather - 1, Henry - 0._ Henry rolled his eyes.

He hissed in mock irritation. "Ooh, no wonder I'm failing too."

Heather snickered at his comment, allowing the blond boy to realize that she wasn't offended in the slightest. Oh well. _Heather - 1, Henry 0.2._

"I'm just kidding. I finished it all in school," the blonde girl continued. "You could do yours at my place if you have any."

"I finished mine at school too," Henry replied, shrugging. "Looks like I influenced you to manage your time wisely." _What am I saying?_ _I_ _can't even manage my own time!_

Hearing her laugh made him raise a brow, and make him slightly offended at what she said next. "Procrastination is not a way to manage your time wisely, Henry. Did your mother ever teach you that? I mean, mine did." _Heather - 3, Henry, 0.2._ Henry wished he was in the lead right now.

"At least my mother taught me not to lie to people."

 _Heather - 3, Henry - 4.2. There we go._

To Henry, that was a funny joke.

"Ooh," Heather hissed, and the blond boy knew she must be rolling her eyes right now. He knew her a bit too well. "Too soon, Hart. _Too soon._ "

Henry chuckled. "Fine. I'll come over. In.." He averted his eyes to Schwoz, and the boy realized that the smaller man was listening to the conversation the whole time, and he saw Schwoz glare at him. He mouthed _What?_ at him, and the man only shook his head in disapproval. "An hour or two?" Schwoz's expression slightly softened. Slightly.

"I'd rather you come over, like.. in a few minutes," the blonde girl sheepishly replied. "I just- just wanna talk, anyways."

The blond boy shut his eyes tightly, mentally deciding how to juggle being with Heather while awaiting for him and Ray to leave eventually after finding a lead.

"Okay, I'll be there soon," he told Heather as Schwoz gave him a look of disbelief. Henry shrugged as he had a sheepish smile on his face. After saying a quick _Bye_ , he hung up and looked up at the smaller man's glare.

"Henry!" Schwoz scolded. "You know that you and Ray might leave soon!"

"Ray isn't even here!" Henry exclaimed, his arms going up as instinct. As if he heard the blond boy, Ray suddenly walked from the hall and into the main room of the Man Cave. He raised a brow at Henry as the boy's eyes dilated at the sight of the brunette man. Schwoz pointed a finger at Ray.

"Now he is!" the smaller man replied, then rolling his eyes as the brunette man stared between him and Henry.

"What's happening? Did you find the suspect?" Ray questioned, walking towards the control panel and the screens.

Schwoz groaned. "I would have by now, if you actually _helped_ me for the last two hours." The brunette man shrugged nonchalantly. "Don't make any excuses."

The smaller man continued. "Now, I might've found something recently and you and Henry _might_ have to leave soon. _Except,_ Henry's going to out to see his girlfriend."

At Schwoz's statement, Henry immediately became flustered. " _What?!_ " he exclaimed, flailing his arms around. "Heather is _not_ my girlfriend!"

"Heather?" Ray raised a brow at this, crossing his arms over his chest. "Schwoz, she's his enemy until Henry is buried six feet underground." Henry rolled his eyes.

"..Heather and I are friends now. Ray, you were there when it happened."

..

Ray looked as if he was ready to strangle Henry. The blond boy raised a brow at his expression.

"I told you, Henry! _Untrustworthy!_ "

Henry rolled his eyes. "We've been over this before, Ray. They're trustworthy. I know that."

The brunette man gave him a look of _Mhm, are you sure?_. "And you know that how, exactly?"

"Again, went over this. Heather is the type of person to tell me her dilemmas."

Ray faked a laugh, before glaring at Henry. "Everyone has secrets."

"No duh!" Henry exclaimed, rolling his eyes again. "Captain Man and Kid Danger here." He then pointed at himself and Ray, for which the man only grunted in slight agreement.

"Besides, I'm going to her place. You're not stopping me," Henry concluded, and he grabbed his backpack from the floor before walking away and back to the elevator. Ray began walking quickly to the blond boy, and grabbed his arm.

When Henry tried to budge, Ray only held it tighter. "Don't go! We, uh, we have to find the bomb suspect!"

"He plants real and fake bombs in different buildings!" Schwoz unhelpfully contributed, and Ray glared at him before turning back to Henry.

"Ray, just this one time. I wanna talk with Heather." The brunette man knew he no longer could convince Henry to turn back, so he let him go. When Henry muttered an annoyed _Thank you_ , he sauntered back into the elevator as it opened. The brunette man watched him in slight irritation, and even after the elevator doors closed Ray was still irked. Schwoz walked over to him, looking up at the brunette man.

"So, now that Henry's not going to help you this time.. can I be your sidekick for today?"

The brunette man tightly shut his eyes before huffing in mass vexation. " _No!_ "

-oOo-

When Henry walked into the shop of Clothes Landing, he quickly observed the few customers inside before noticing the familiar blonde girl at the front desk. She was staring down at her phone, and once the blond boy knocked on the glass of the table, Heather looked up at him and immediately grinned. She put her phone in her cardigan pocket.

"Hey, Hen!" she greeted, and he smiled in response.

"So, what did you wanna talk about?" Henry questioned, shrugging.

Heather's eyes averted from the blond boy across from her to the floor, before looking up at him. "So.. it's actually about my mom."

Henry blinked. "..what about her?"

It looked as if Heather was rather reluctant to say. She fidgeted in her spot. "I-I don't know. She just.. she was saying the other day that we did kinda look a like.."

The blond boy's eyes widened at her comment. "You know, now that I realize.. you do look like me." At that, Heather nodded, meekly smiling at him. "Obviously not that much.. you're a girl and I'm a guy, but.. you get the point."

Heather shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, I guess.. but just because we're both blonde and have brown eyes doesn't make us twins or something, right?"

Henry nodded. "Exactly." He was leaning on a dressed mannequin and Heather was reaching over, hopefully getting Henry's attention as the figure began to tip. The blonde girl mentally face palmed as the blond boy was _absolutely_ oblivious to how he was making the mannequin fall over. "Uh- Henry.."

As the word, "What?" came out of Henry's mouth, the mannequin tipped over and once it came into contact with the hardwood floor, the limbs of the mannequin got disconnected. Initially, Henry began freaking out, averting his eyes from a shocked Heather to the figure, a blush creeping up on his cheeks. He then kneeled down to grab the limbs as Heather slid over the counter and helped him. Henry stammered a few _Sorrys_ and _It's ok, I got it_ as Heather only shook her head and grabbed the mannequin's limbs. Placing them on a nearby display table, she gave Henry a sheepish smile.

"Sorry about that," the blond boy spoke, face still red. "I'll help you put it back together."

At that, Heather shook her head. "It's fine, I'll fix it later." Soon enough, an awkward silence erupted.

"So.."

"Uh.."

..

"My mom thinks we're related.."

Henry whipped his head to Heather. " _What did you say?_ "

 _Is he literally making me repeat that?_ "My mom thinks we're related. Don't make me repeat that again."

The blond boy blinked rapidly at her. "I- but- we're _not_ -"

"I've been trying to tell her that!" Heather exclaimed, rolling her eyes. "She thinks we're related just because we're both blond, brown-eyed, we like the same things.."

"That doesn't make us related," Henry countered, raising a brow. "We just have stuff in common. Like.. we both like bowling, and we're _good_ at it.."

Heather's eyes were fixated on a crack in the brick wall to her side. "Let's see.. do you like dill fingers?"

"I _love_ dill fingers!"

"So do I!"

Both blondes stared at each other in confusion. _Yeah, we just have a lot of stuff in common. That's kinda cool. I'm not sure where or when the whole 'we're related' thing started in Rey but she's just being ridiculous._ Henry absentmindedly tapped a rhythm against his thighs as Heather played with a loose thread on her cardigan.

"Favorite color?" Henry questioned, leaning to Heather.

She huffed. "Red. You?"

When Henry stayed silent, Heather assumed that his was the same as well. _Okay, well.. red is a nice color._

"..any sports?" Heather asked.

"Karate." _Are you_ _freaking_ _kidding me?!_

Heather groaned. "I used to do karate."

The blond boy face palmed. "Still doesn't mean we're related!" The blonde girl shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "Anyways.. this is _really_ weird."

"Tell me about it," Heather concurred, huffing. "By the way, that's all I wanted to talk to you about." She gave him a sheepish look. "If I bothered you, sorry."

Henry shook his head. "No, no. You didn't." _I'd prefer being here than with Ray, anyways._ He looks at his watch. "I- I gotta go. I need to make dinner for my family tonight." He gestures to the door. _Look, most kids make dinner for their parents at some point._

"Alright, then," Heather replied, sliding over the counter again. "Well.. I guess I'll see you tomorrow at school, then." The blond boy nodded, heading to the entrance of the shop. Heather was following him, her at his heels.

After exchanging a _Bye_ , Henry exited the shop. He placed his hands in his pockets, now pondering to what he and Heather just discussed.

 _We're obviously not related. Nuh-uh. Sure, we like the same things. We do the same stuff.._

 _Henry, no! Not related._

 _Nope. Nada. Zilch. ..We do like bowling.. and the color red.. and dill fingers.._

 _No!_

 _.._

"Mom, do we have a relative named Heather by any chance?"

Siren turned around from the counter to lock eyes with her son, who was standing near the stove. Henry placed the wooden spoon on the lid of the pan, awaiting an answer.

"On my side, no. I'm not sure about your father's side.. you can ask him," she replied, placing the envelopes from the mailbox down. Siren didn't think too much about the question.

"Ask me what?" Jake sauntered into the kitchen/dining area, still holding a laundry basket. The curly-haired man averted his eyes from his wife to his son.

Henry sighed heavily, turning back to the stove. "Dad, are you related to anyone named Heather?"

Jake pondered on that question for a bit, staring off in the distance momentarily. Siren blinked, before walking in the living room to place the paid bills on the coffee table. The sound of her husband humming in thought could be heard, along with the light sizzle of the pan being cooked by Henry.

"No." Jake replied after a while, and the blonde woman rolled her eyes.

"Why do you ask?" Siren questioned, raising a brow.

"Well.."

As Henry continued to cook, he explained the whole scenario regarding Rey and Heather. Saying who they were, the many incidents that then led up to only two hours ago, where Heather's mother concluded that Heather was related to Henry, somehow. Jake and Siren shared a glance of possible suspicion and yet uncertainty simultaneously. When Henry finished with his monologue, Siren crossed her arms over her chest.

"What does she look like?" When she noticed Henry reaching for his phone on the counter island, Siren gestured for Jake to temporarily take over on cooking as the blond boy opened his camera roll. He eventually found her contact photo, and quickly showed it to his mother. As soon as she saw it, Siren's eyes dilated.

"Wow.." she muttered, blinking. "She looks like you."

Henry whipped his head to his mother in disbelief. "Does she really?!" He showed the photo to his father, for which he nodded and turned back to the stove.

"Yeah, a tiny bit uncanny," Siren confessed. "Let's say.. if you were a girl.. then you'd most likely look like her."

The blond boy blanched.

..

 _Doesn't Heather look like me? - H_

 _A little bit, yeah. - C_

 _Her mom said we could be related. Again.. we just like the same stuff. - H_

 _That doesn't make you related, tho. - C_

 _Exactly! Idk why that was even an option to begin with. - H_

 _But, if u really think about it.. - C_

 _? - H_

 _Maybe she is related to you. like.. a long lost relative. - C_

 _Char, that sounds kinda dumb. I know all of my relatives. - H_

 _you sound so confident. Lol, loser. - C_

 _hey! shhh but seriously. I think if she was related to me I would know by now. - H_

 _Maybe.. even your parents don't know.. idk that's what I think. - C_

 _genetics must be dominant in one side of ur family then. - C_

 _That's funny. no. - H_

 _think about it! Like.. you just met someone who you're related to and you had no idea until now. That sounds cool. - C_

 _to you at least. We're not related. - H_

 _You know, now that I think about it.. - H_

 _Yeah? - C_

 _.._

 _Holy guacamole. Might as well call her my long lost cousin or something. - H_ Henry stared at his phone in disbelief, feeling _very_ stupid at the moment. He's been avoiding it the whole time!

 _HA! - C_

 _(Read 8:24 PM)_

-oOo-

 **Chapter 12 here! There might have been continuity issues previously (and I apologize for that) regarding Melissa and the twins. She, on my behalf, disappeared for like 6 chapters but she's back, maybe not so much better than ever. Sorry for the wait! Hopefully, I don't go on too much of a writer's block when writing chapter 13. We're getting somewhere; soon enough the future chapters will just be a doozy not just to me. Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome!**


	13. Some Part-Time Job

**Opposites But Not**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own the show, characters, excluding the concepts of Rey and Heather. I only own the plot!

So.. I haven't been on in a long time. I'm pretty sure you all have lost interest at this point due to the intermittent updating (hello, at this time of writing, haven't updated in over a year! o m g) but please don't lose hope. As I'm typing this, it's been over 2 years since I've started this!

I've typed out outlines for previous, this and subsequent chapters but I've noticed that the method that I write is more based like on a script. I'm not letting it flow naturally like normal teenagers and the 36 (sorry Ray) year old guy who fight crimes together say and act. Trying to change that.

Anyways, this is somewhat of a filler chapter to compensate for the lack of characterization in the previous chapters. Quite boring, yes, but it gives some foresight for the rest of the plot. Also, this is still set during season 2, despite the show basically being in season 4 now.

* * *

 _a year ago_

If Oreste or Davide had to describe Melissa, acquiescence towards others certainly wasn't one of her traits.

Swellview was debuting their international transfer program that year, which led to a lot of confusion erupting from the student population. _Why would anyone from somewhere else come here? There's nothing interesting here. The people arriving probably aren't even in our age group._

The two Italian boys seemed to have altered their opinions, noting in their accent with a slight American twang that there was something about the town that captured their attention.

" _È possible trovare tutto qui!_ / You can find everything here!" Davide had excitedly told his parents through his phone. He was just as a reluctant of coming here as his parents, nevertheless he allowed more experiences and memories to flood to him when he arrived. Even then, a small pang of anxiety rushed to him. _What if they made fun of my accent? My mannerisms?_

And when he got to the orientation, it was like a giant slap in the face back to Italy.

"David, this is Oreste. He's Italian too."

Davide ignored how Melissa pronounced his name, instead walking over to the raven-haired boy and flashing a grin.

" _Ciao! Sono Davide. Sei fluente in italiano?_ / Hi! I'm Davide. Are you fluent in Italian?" the brunette boy questioned the slightly nervous boy of similar stature.

" _Sì. Questa ragazza è fastidioso me._ / Yes. This girl is annoying me," Oreste replied, averting his eyes to Melissa, who was raising a brow at their conversation. Davide chuckled.

"Nice to meet you, Oreste," Davide greeted, and the raven-haired boy smiled in reply.

Melissa rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Okay, so I was appointed as your tour guide. Don't wander anywhere else." The two boys nodded, and as the raven-haired girl started strolling away they followed, hot on her heels. Attempting to make conversation, she turned her head to them.

"What part of Italy are you two from?" she questioned.

"I'm from northern Italy," Davide answered, and Oreste spoke, "Southern Italy." Melissa nodded, looking rather bored. As she pointed out some vital areas of the school, the two boys dazed off at some point. Melissa pointed out classrooms, spoke in a bored tone their importance, walked, stopped, and it was all on repeat. The two could really tell she wasn't enjoying this. To be fair, neither were they. But hey, new experiences.

The raven haired girl rolled her eyes as her arms were crossed over her chest. It's not like she _wanted_ to be here. Her first intention was to see cute foreign guys. Oreste and Davide weren't terribly looking, she mused, but the fact that they seemed like they wanted to plot against her already made her think twice. Her second intention was to get her reputation up. Melissa B., prettiest girl in school who was a helpful, compassionate person? Yes, please! People would _totally_ respect her even more after finding out she also helped newcomers here in Swellview. Plus, she'll have more reasons to push Henry during their mile run. _Blond runt, treating me like I'm not important-_

Her thoughts were interrupted by Davide snapping his fingers in her face, which seemed to have a sneer. "Hello, Melissa.. Melissa!"

" _What?_ " Melissa hissed, absentmindedly glaring at Davide. The brunette boy wouldn't admit that he flinched seeing her do so.

"You just.. stopped walking," Oreste answered for him. "Are you alright? You can stop if you'd like- Davide and I can help ourselves to the rest of the campus."

Davide held back a nervous laugh. "You had this weird smile on your face. Like.. I don't know. Like you were plotting something evil." Cue Melissa to intentionally glare at Davide this time. Oreste gave him a side-eye, and Davide shrunk slightly in his spot. Melissa stopped herself, sighing heavily.

"Yeah, I think that'd be great," the raven-haired girl muttered, sitting herself on a nearby bench. She took out 2 brochures from her back pocket and handed them to the closest boy.

"We're in the quad right now," Melissa spoke, looking around the empty space. "The only place we haven't gone to yet was the 3rd building over there-" She points at the building north of them, "-so I recommend heading that way." Oreste gave her an anxious look, but nevertheless followed her words.

The boys both nodded, and as they walked they yelled out, " _Ciao!_ / Bye!" at her, and Melissa smiled weakly.

When they were out of her peripheral view, Melissa face palmed. _I looked completely weak in front of them! Ugh!_ She groaned and rubbed her temples.

As she sat alone in the quad, whistling, she noticed how eerily quiet it became. Of course, no one was present but her, but the light breeze that was around a few minutes ago suddenly was gone. Melissa brushed it off. _If you're scared of this, honey, you need to get a grip. Don't make yourself look weaker than you did earlier with the two Italian guys._ She took out her phone, and noticed that she got a notification of a text from a number not on her contacts.

 _Your thoughts are awfully conceited._

Melissa rolled her eyes, and deleted the text. _Whatever._

Barely 2 minutes after, another appeared. It seemed to be the _same_ number.

 _Wow, deleting my texts already? You're not as strong-willed as many would assume._

The raven-haired girl huffed, and swiped up to reply.

 _Well, a normal person LIKE ME would delete texts from someone they don't obviously know. And who do u think u are?!_

She got a reply almost immediately.

 _I'm someone. Someone smart. Intelligent. A quick thinker. -Pm_

 _Okay, and I'm a white girl. There's so many ppl that go by our descriptions, dude._

 _Well, yes of course. But you aren't like most girls. -Pm_

 _And HOW SO? I mean other than the fact I'm like way prettier than all the girls at my school._

 _Do you see them using their looks as an valid reason to justify for their abysmal behavior? No, I didn't think so. You think you're some normal girl, haha. -Pm_

 _EXCUSE ME?! I am normal! Look, Idk who you are but you're wasting my time!_

 _I'm wasting your time? You're sitting alone in your school's quad. Texting to this number. You're wasting_ _my_ _time, snowflake. -Pm_

 _WAIT. HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?!_

Melissa looked up from her phone, whipping her head from left to right, but to no avail could not find an identifiable person that could be them.

 _I have my ways. -Pm_

 _And what ways exactly?!_

 _[Message failed to send. This number does not exist.]_

The raven-haired girl stared at her phone screen blankly for the next few minutes, digesting what just occurred. _Number doesn't exist, what the heck? I just texted this dude, or girl. I don't even know them! I just spent the last 10 minutes talking to this loser._ Shaking her head and putting a lock of hair behind her ear, she stood up from her place in the quad and went to the north building to meet up with Oreste and Davide. _They're officially part of my hate list._

..

After Melissa did her nightly routine of taking off her makeup, brushing her teeth, and all that jazz, she plopped herself down on her silk-covered bed. Picking up her phone, Melissa answered a few texts before pausing. The conversation with the "non-existent number" still appeared on the top of her recent conversations. She raised a groomed brow, and out of curiosity she quickly looking through it again. _This was so weird._

 _[(Area code) ###-####: Seem to care about the conversation?]_

Reading the text a few times over, Melissa sighed. _Seriously, what is happening? Did some loser give out my number to creeps?_

She swiped up and started to type.

 _What conversation? I've never seen your number in your life!_

 _Short term memory loss, I see. The one we had earlier while you were at your school, Sherlock._

Melissa had no clue whether to be disturbed or scared.

 _You're the dude who I had that weird convo with? What the fudge?_

 _I'm offended. -Pm_

 _Srsly dude, you could've used the same number._

 _You're not truly bothered by this, aren't you? You're actually replying to my texts instead of threatening to call the police and blocking me. -Pm_

 _Idk man, you're some weird person texting my number and u somehow know where I am. Plus u get new numbers so blocking u won't help._

 _You are also not as stupid as I assumed. -Pm_

 _OK.. I have feelings you know! Who are you anyways? Btw don't tell me "some smart dude" or blah blah.. I want to know who you really are._

 _.._

 _Do you want to make a living at your age? -Pm_

 _Uhm.. HELLO. U didn't answer my question._

 _You didn't answer mine. I have a job to offer you. -Pm_

 _Well whatever job it is, I probably don't have any prerequisites for it. What is it anyways?_

 _Spy on people, basically. -Pm_

 _HAHA! I already do that._

 _Get paid for something you do. And apparently, something you love doing. You can call me P for now. -Pm_

 _.._

 _What's the catch? Idk about accepting a job from some random dude._

 _None. -Pm_

 _I want proof that this is actually an authorized job, and not some way to get me into a trafficking ring._

 _Oh, of course. I don't care about people that way. -Pm_

 _Well THAT'S ASSURING._

 _Actually, I need you to recruit people. So hypothetically if you get caught, for example, you won't be the only one tracked. With other people, it will make it more difficult by not knowing who_ _actually_ _caused it. Deal? -Pm_

 _So the ppl I recruit find out about this? How many already do this?_

 _.._

 _A lot. I'm not really the organizer though, I'm just an older recruiter. I do the same job. -Pm_

 _I see I see. I'll think about it._

 _If you are committed to doing so, come to this location this Friday. It's a meeting. Bring the people you plan to recruit._

The unknown number sends Melissa a picture of the card with all the information, and she saves it. She smirked briefly, before furrowing her brows. _Seriously, what have I gotten myself into?_ She sat on her bed, pondering for a bit, before going through her contact list to text Stephanie and Julia about it. _This_ _will_ _be an interesting year._

* * *

 _now_

"But I don't _want_ to see Noelle."

"We have to, Jules! I mean, mom and dad said that we need to have a lot of connections so we have a successful future."

"But _her?_ "

Julia and Stephanie were sitting Indian style on their twin beds, facing each other. Julia was braiding her hair hastily as Stephanie was looking down at her phone, observing all the photos their mother sent of the last time Noelle visited them. It was only a year ago, but it did seem longer. They were visiting her in her town this time, much to Julia's dismay. Stephanie didn't mind Noelle; she was a nice girl with good sense of fashion.

"Noelle looks like Lady Gaga in 2010 and a hobo vomited on her. Or if Chicken Hen Hart was a girl. More uglier than ever."

"That's a mean simile."

The blonde twin with the braid rolled her eyes. "You know I'm right."

Stephanie scoffed. "As if. Give her a chance. Just because her aunt's weird doesn't necessarily mean she is."

"Her aunt is our history teacher. I hate her _and_ history."

"And you wonder why Aunt Sharona gave you a D on that last report, regardless of what you told her," Stephanie muttered, looking off in the distance. Julia stared at her in aghast. "Yes, I know you heard that, sis." She shrugged her shoulders. "Anyways.."

"We see Noelle like once every year, I wish we saw her like once never year." Stephanie rolled her eyes.

"It's _once a year_. It's not like we see her everyday. Besides, she probably changed. Most people do, anyways."

Julia laughed dryly. " _Most_ people, Steph. Noelle _isn't_ like most people. She's weird."

"You said you were jealous of her teeth the last time we saw her, thus you tried to buy her as much chocolate as possible to ruin them."

"Don't tell me they're _not_ super white and straight! I mean, look at them!-" Julia quickly pulled up a recent picture of Noelle smiling. "I want to smash them in her jaw! Ugh!"

Stephanie averted her position to not face Julia, and laid down in her bed. "You shouldn't say that. Mom, Dad, and Aunt Sharona will never forgive you."

"Shut up, I don't care what they think, Steph," Julia drawled, and Stephanie heard the thud that Julia made when she fell back on the bed. "Noelle is just another loser we're going to end up meeting in our lives again."

..

"I'm so glad you guys came to visit!" Noelle spoke cheerfully, her pearly whites making Julia more irritated than ever. Stephanie didn't hesitate to return the hug that Noelle offered. "How about we take a walk in the park so we can catch up on some stuff?"

"Yeah, that'd be great.." Julia grumbled, scowling. Their blonde cousin raised a brow, giving Julia an uncertain look.

"Julia, is everything okay?" To Julia, Noelle was some dumb, oblivious girl. But Noelle knew. Oh, she knew. "Do you not want to go to the park?"

Stephanie put an unintentional rough hand on Julia's shoulder, smiling weakly at Noelle. "Sorry, it's just that.. Julia's a bit crabby since she had to leave her boyfriend." Noelle nodded in understanding.

"I know that's kind of sad to think of," Noelle said, putting a hand on Julia's other shoulder as she faced her. "But hopefully I can try to make you feel more at home here so you could forget..?"

"That's wonderful!" Stephanie interrupted whatever rude words Julia was about to say, wrapping an arm around her sister. "Julia would love that, wouldn't you?" She questioned person in question, smiling at her. Julia gave her a side eye, but nevertheless smiled weakly at Noelle, nodding at her.

"I'd love that, Noe," Julia begrudgingly replied to her cousin, the fake smile still plastered on her face. Noelle squeezed Julia's shoulder a little tighter and had her signature bright smile directed at her cousin.

..

Julia hated _every_ second of this "vacation". Their parents and Noelle's parents were busy in the kitchen and at the connected dining area, having glasses of champagne and a protein/vegetable-heavy dinner. Laughter could be heard from there as Julia, Stephanie, Noelle, and her dog, a golden retriever, lounged in the other room, Julia slouching on the couch and her legs on her sister's lap.

"Why don't you get any other animals, Noelle?" Stephanie absentmindedly asked, petting her cousin's dog softly. "I mean, Rufus is cute and all.."

"I wish I could," Noelle replied glumly. "But my parents said I can't have any more dogs, and I'm allergic to cats so if I tried to get one ya know.."

Stephanie nodded. "Right, right. What about a lizard?"

Julia raised an eyebrow at this, but said nothing. She pretended to check her phone as Stephanie and Noelle conversed.

"A lizard? Ew!" Noelle looked at her cousin in disgust. "Lizards are honestly the least.."

Julia blocked out their conversations. How much she _wanted_ to get out of this hellhole.

 _You're just jealous of her._

 _Jealous? No!_

 _Just because her clothes are more trendy, and her hair is more voluminous.. No! No! No!_

 _You're just being stupid. You're much better than her._

"I kinda want to be a dentist when I'm older," Noelle mentioned, something that Julia involuntarily picked up. "Checking people's teeth? They're so important, and it's super cool too." Stephanie merely nodded, acknowledging positively as Julia still continued to daze off.

 _Jealousy.._

 _No! Ugh! Noelle is lame. She's some dog lover who wants to be a dentist. Gross!_

Stephanie hadn't even realized her sister dazed off until it took her at least 5 minutes to get her sister's attention afterwards.

* * *

 _one and a half years ago_

"He's so cute.. literally who is that..?" Stephanie breathed out, a dazed expression on her face watching a brunette boy across the room.

"You're such a weirdo," Julia retorted, snapping her fingers in front of her sister's face. "That's the guy from the track team, remember?"

Melissa was walking over, apparently having heard the recent words exchanged in the conversation. "Which guy from the track team?" Julia gestured to the brunette boy, drinking a bottle of water as he read a book. Melissa scrunched up her nose in disgust. " _Him?_ "

Stephanie got snapped out of her dreams at the sound of disgust. "How dare you say that, Mel?! He's flipping _gorgeous_."

"Honey… I don't think he would swing in your direction…" Melissa stated rather truthfully, getting out a pocket mirror to check her makeup, and Stephanie slapped Melissa in the arm, and the raven-haired girl scowled.

"What do you mean by that?!" Stephanie questioned, brows raising. "I'm _perfect_ girlfriend material for him. Mel, you're going crazy."

Julia smacked her twin sister upside the head, and the enamored sister hit her back. "That's not what Mel meant— Alfred doesn't like—"

"I don't like what?"

All three girls froze at the sight of the tall brunette boy who now stood before them, eyebrow raised, book and water bottle in hand. He had a pencil behind his ear, but it was delightfully hidden in his rather unkempt locks of hair. Stephanie's eyes dilated at the sight of him, and he merely blinked at her.

"Alfred, hey!" Julia greeted him, flashing him a grin. He only blinked at her too, before smiling a little.

"Right, uh…" he tapped his foot impatiently against the floor. "I'd rather you not call me Alfred, remember? It's weird. Just call me Alfie."

Melissa raised a brow at him. "Why not?"

 _Alfie_ now paused for a moment, an uncertain look on his face. "It's just… _weird_. Too formal, I guess…?" He shrugged, staring at them sheepishly, until Melissa just nodded slowly and no longer focused on him.

"But _anyways_ ," he continued. "I don't like _what_?"

Stephanie did not enunciate any words properly, and Julia rolled her eyes, and spoke up instead. "I remember we were on the track team together."

Alfie pulled up a chair from the other desk and sat in front of the three girls. He started to get _really_ uncomfortable at the sight of Stephanie practically _swooning_ over him. "Yeah. You were super good at long distance. Trying out for this year's season?"

Julia nodded rather eagerly. " _Yes._ I really can't wait. Are you?"

He merely shrugged. "Honestly, no clue. My little sister is gonna be born around the month of tryouts, so I don't know if I'll have any time for it."

"You're having a sister?" Melissa questioned, putting her pocket mirror away.

Alfie honestly didn't know why he was still talking to them. "Uh, yeah… I guess." His sudden discomfort at the subject of his soon-to-be born sister wasn't immediately evident to them. Surprisingly enough, Stephanie was the one to notice first.

"Shouldn't you be happy about that? What's her name gonna be?" Stephanie pressed a bit, and Alfie narrowed his eyes at her.

"My mom's health hasn't exactly gone in the right direction since she got pregnant with my sister, so I don't know if I should be, thank you very much," he replied in a rather abrupt and harsh tone, and the twin sisters gave him a concerned look, while Melissa only gave a brief look of pity, none of the girls minding his rather rude tone to them. "Her name's Natasha."

"Natasha, that's a cute name," Melissa announced, and Alfie returned to his rather careless demeanor and shrugged.

"Alfie, if you need someone to talk to… you can talk to me," Julia offered a hand out to him, smiling a little at him. His visage softened, but he was still rather tense.

Sighing heavily, Alfie took her hand a bit. "Thanks, Jules. You're not so bad, but I still don't know you that well— maybe if I start getting closer to you guys, I'll talk for sure."

"Yeah, you can talk to me too," Stephanie spoke in an eager tone, and Alfie couldn't hold in his annoyance at her any longer."

"Okay, first of all," Alfie started, blinking at Stephanie. "I swing both ways, but I don't like you that way— let's get that established. Second of all, Julia told me a lot of stories during track practice where it involves you snitching on your sister, so _no_." He started standing up, grabbing his things.

He waved at Melissa and Julia, intentionally ignoring Stephanie, who was now seething in her seat. "Bye, all. Let's hang out again like this!" Julia snickered.

"He has no taste."

Melissa bursted out laughing. "That's rich. He just doesn't like you."

"Everybody likes me."

Julia rolled her eyes at her sister. "I'd expect that to be coming from Mel, not you, idiot. Remember when you had a crush on Henry Hart in elementary school but got butthurt because he didn't like you back?"

"I remember that!" Melissa stated, still laughing, before she realized what Julia said before. "Wait— _hey!_ "

* * *

 _now (well, technically)_

Sometimes Davide and Oreste wondered why they thought America was the better choice over Italy.

There was _so much_ _drama_ here in Swellview, especially in the school they went to. Compared to their curriculum back home, America's was a little behind, but it was easy to slack off because they knew everything already. Their mothers, on the other hand, would still be just as angry to find their sons intentionally wasting away in the place they immigrated to.

The tension and all the other jazz especially increased with the addition of Heather, who moved from… _actually,_ they had _no_ idea where she came from. She still had an American accent, so she either learned _really_ quickly as they did or she just came from another state. The latter made more sense.

On some school nights, the Italian boys would FaceTime each other and practiced the lingo of the locals, including accents. Both were perfectionists, so they had practiced until any sign of previous regional Italian accent was unrecognizable. Apparently it was successful, since no one actually knew they were from Italy unless they told them.

Heather was an interesting sort of girl, they noticed. They didn't fancy her in the slightest, after all, she kind of looked like that weird boy in their other class— Henry Hart, was it? Sometimes they questioned each other if they were related, especially during the whole Jasper-Heather-Melissa fiasco. The two blondes simply argued too much, but _hey,_ they made some moolah from bets.

They remembered how amused they were when Charlotte confronted them about the bets.

" _Meddling for personal gain? There's nothing wrong with that!"_ They told each other afterwards.

Charlotte would actually slap them if she heard that.

" _Charlotte doesn't_ _have_ _to know…"_

Besides that, the two gained themselves a reputation. The two Italians who worked together constantly. Despite being the same height, they'd still get jabs and retorts about how they reminded some of the kids at school in Swellview of this weird game about a red and green plumber.

" _Super racist, the whole lot of them."_

" _Wait, how is that racist? It doesn't involve—"_

" _This is_ _not_ _the time, Davide!"_

… _anyways_ , both of the boys have developing a few theories about Heather. Suddenly becoming Melissa's bait… well, she was like that to a lot of people, but Heather must have been a special case. They couldn't exactly pinpoint it, but _wow_ was it something. Melissa was always kind of iffy to them, based on the conversations they've had with the other weird brunette boy in the locker rooms during track practice.

" _Alfie, why even bother with her anymore?"_

" _Honestly, I don't even know the answer to that question."_

They pitied that boy, but it seemed that he didn't even like her either. Alfie was apparently fine with one of the blonde twins who relentlessly followed after Melissa day to day, since she was on their track team anyways. Her sister, despite having a boyfriend, still seemed as if she still wanted something to happen between her and Alfie.

Oreste had discovered that Alfie had a lot of baggage in the last year on accident, during a celebration for their placement in regionals. Davide was off talking to their rather enthusiastic coach, as Alfie sat on the front porch of the building, staring up at the night sky. A light breeze was hitting them. Alfie told him everything, forgoing his _regret-nothing_ attitude, which made Oreste realize that really, _no one_ was who they seemed to be in this town.

" _My mom died a couple weeks after giving birth to Natasha. Remember when I got hurt during practice? I focused so much on track, on school, I overworked myself so I wouldn't have to think about it. Whatever Melissa wanted me to do for her really put my mind off it, too."_

He remembered placing an arm on his shoulder, seeing Alfie's eyes water.

" _Sometimes, I really hate Natasha, because if she wasn't here, my mom would still be here right now. But… she looks so much like her—_ "

Oreste had hugged him as Alfie cried on his shoulder, Davide watching through the window, absolutely crestfallen at the sight of Alfie breaking down. Melissa would never understand Alfie that way; she was too preoccupied with her own, stupid life.

However, to Melissa, her life had changed for the better, she claimed. The part-time job was… interesting. Why Heather was the one she had to target, she didn't know why, but if the general plan was for her to hate her so much then it succeeded rather well. The Polymath didn't explain anything to her further. He knew that his plan would only lead to the disintegration of Melissa's morals.

* * *

He could see both of their worlds simultaneously, every movement, emotion, action conveyed. All spread out in front of them.

He _did_ have to admit, Heather and Henry did look pretty similar. It was uncanny, but that was to be expected. Along with Rey and Ray, the two most egotistical 'supers' he had come across.

Heather _was_ more emotional than Henry, however. Always crying, whining about her failures, but at least she was self aware. The fact that Rey nor Heather were advancing to try to defeat him made him satisfied, after all. Too damaged to pick it up again.

Rey was a bit of a harder case, other than the obvious _indestructibility,_ but she too was blinded by her own interest half the time like her male counterpart. _Weak-minded_ , he would describe them. Plain, like everyone else. _Shame_.

The girl that he employed, Melissa, or whatever the heck her name was, was the most irritating person he had hired. She was often too snarky at him— that was _his_ personality, why did she pick _that_ up? The relative closeness she had to the Hart girl at school made her an excellent target, but in any other case she was just as dull-minded as everyone else in that world. He couldn't wait to get rid of her.

Asking her to kill the girl and her 'mother' would be a bit of a stretch, but if anything, he was exceptionally manipulative to Melissa of all people, and he was oh so lucky enough that Heather Hart was quite oblivious sometimes…

* * *

 **So, I just want to point out that I started this story 2 years ago, and I was quite young and filled with ideas, but it's been 2 years and I matured and sort of passed on to other things. I'm going to finish this story regardless, because I don't want to leave you guys so unsatisfied. The high for Henry Danger, I believe, is going down a bit (it was super popular when I first started) but I'll still update regardless.**

 **Also, if any of you have noticed, but I've started tying some of the OCs to canon characters.**

 **Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome!**


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